The Family Plan offers decent value for 120 shared minutes
Sometimes I watch a film which is so doggedly “fine” that I wonder whether it’s even worth reviewing. Then I come to my senses and remember that I watched it, so you have to read about it. The Family Plan does a decently entertaining job of blending the everyday chaos of family life with the somewhat more rarefied chaos of high-stakes international espionage and in many ways, it’s a toned-down, supermarket own brand version of True Lies but while Michelle Monaghan is good value as a mum confronted with the unbelievable and inconvenient truth that her husband has been hiding a double life from her, journeyman action star Mark Wahlberg is no Schwarzennegger.
Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) enjoys a tranquil suburban life with his wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and their three kids. However, his peaceful existence is shattered when his past as a top government assassin resurfaces. To protect his family, Dan takes them on a wild cross-country journey to Las Vegas, all while trying to keep his deadly skills and true identity a secret.
Wahlberg actually does a decent job here, balancing the duality of a bland, routine-loving suburban father and lethal assassin but there’s little chemistry with Michelle Monaghan (who seems to have a definite type after Ethan Hunt and now Dan Morgan) although, admittedly, this helps reinforce his identity as half of a married couple comfortable in their rut. It’s a happy accident though and his trademark lack of range eventually takes its toll.
The film’s real strengths lie in its dynamic action sequences and often well-timed humour. The action is creatively choreographed – especially when the imperative is to try and keep the secret while still taking out the bad guys while the humour generally stems from a self-aware sense of the absurdity of the situation. The supporting cast of the kids, including standout performances from the adorable Iliana and Vienna Norris as baby of the family Max Morgan add charm and energy to the film.
While entertaining, the plot occasionally veers into the realm of the contrived, which might detract from the experience for some viewers. Certain characters, particularly the antagonists, including Ciaran Hinds, feel underdeveloped, serving more as plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals. Like Dan Morgan himself, The Family Plan is caught trying to be two things at once – an action-driven spy caper and a family-friendly knockabout comedy. It’s a mix that’s deceptively hard to pull off, and where it could have been an inverted Spy Kids it ends up being more of a milquetoast Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
The Family Plan might not reinvent the wheel, but it certainly knows how to keep it spinning. Despite Wahlberg’s lacklustre leading man power, the film offers enough action and humour to make it worth watching, especially if you’ve nothing better to do at the time. If only it had the courage to go the full-Griswald and really go for broke it might have been a real cult contender.
