The Family Plan is a super fun movie that is part spy thriller and part family comedy, with a dash of heart thrown in.
The Family Plan is what happens when you mix an action movie, with a spy thriller movie, and a family comedy. That might sound like a mess of genres, and you might be thinking to yourself there is no way that will work, yet it does.
There is something special about a movie that brings a family together, even if they have to be broken apart first. It happens all the time in movies but The Family Plan perfectly captures the family dynamic. With teens who want nothing more to be on their devices, a mom who wants to be seen as more than that, and a dad who is just trying to get by. Throw a baby into the mix and the chaos comes. This movie finds a way to deliver that chaos in a unique way.
Dan (Mark Wahlberg) is a car salesman. He leads a pretty boring life to the point where his wife (Michelle Monaghan) is wishing he would be more spontaneous. They just had an unexpected third child and she wants to be seen as more than just a mother. The thing is, Dan has a secret. Well, the whole family does but Dan’s is a pretty big one. He used to be an elite government assassin tasked with eliminating the world’s deadliest threats.
When his enemies catch up to him, he surprises the family with a road trip to Las Vegas – no devices allowed. They think he is just trying to give them a memorable vacation, but he is actually running from his past. And his biggest goal is to make sure his family doesn’t figure it out for as long as he can.
The Family Plan is a blast when it is combining insane action sequences and ridiculous comedy. We promise you Mark Wahlberg fighting bad guys in a grocery store with a baby strapped to his chest is going to be one of the funniest things you will see all year. This movie works as well as it does because it meshes these genres together in a way we haven’t really seen before. Each scene gets more and more crazy, and more and more funny.
This cast feels like a real family. The chemistry is there. By the end of the movie viewers will be begging for a sequel so we can see them team up together again. At just under two hours, the runtime is a bit on the long side. Editing could have cut it down a bit, but those long action sequences are a lot of fun so we understand the hesitation.
The Family Plan is exactly what we expected it to be. A good time. Get ready to laugh and sit on the edge of your seat as you root for Dan and the family to get out of every sticky situation. This one is fun.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
NEXT: The Family Plan Cast Reveals Their Secret Skills
About The Family Plan
Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) loves his quiet suburban life as a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman. But that’s only half the story. Decades earlier, he was an elite government assassin tasked with eliminating the world’s deadliest threats.
When enemies from his past track him down, Dan packs his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan), angsty teen daughter, pro-gamer teen son and adorable 10-month-old baby into their minivan and takes off on an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Determined to protect his family — while treating them to the vacation of a lifetime — Dan must put his long-dormant skills into action, without revealing his true identity.
Family road-trips can be difficult, even without assassins chasing you.
