Instant Family - 速成家庭

Instant Family (速成家庭) is an 2018 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, and Isabela Moner. The supporting cast include Gustavo Escobar, Julianna Gamiz, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Tig Notaro, and Octavia Spencer. The movie was a surprise hit of the 2018 holiday season.



A married couple, Pete & Ellie Wagner, are alive and well without children. They seem happy with their careers until a snide remark about them and children send them down the path of considering fostering. The explore it and give it shot. When they like Isabella, they ended up taking her two younger siblings. From no kids to 3 kids. The comedy ensues and the kids test them and their parents. In the end, will these two untrained and unqualified individuals want to stay in the thick of things with these children?



I watched this via digital purchase around Christmas time and my kids have watched it at least a couple more times since. So I feel they really liked the story. I was pleasantly surprised myself as I am not the biggest Mark Wahlberg fan. The kids ended up stealing the show and made for us getting on their side.

An entertaining family movie that you can watch over and over again.

Mile 22 - 拳力逃脫

Mile 22 (拳力逃脫) is an 2018 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, John Malkovich, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, and Ronda Rousey.



A specials team group is sent in to retrieve caesium before the substance can be weaponized. However, they do not and there are some out in the open market now. 6 months later, in a Indocarr, a South East Asian country, a police man with knowledge of the caesium turns himself into the US consulate. Indocarr's leadership want him back and actually attack the convoy. They have 22 miles to get to the airstrip to get the police man out. Along the way, the team slowly starts to get picked off, but the police man starts to help them. Can they make it through the 22 miles to the escape plane?

This movie was all sorts of hard to follow. They set the movie in South East Asia, but during the run through the city, it felt like they were in South America or a Latin American country. Not Asia. Form that point on, I just couldn't. Just Can't, pick a meme for that phrase. That's how I felt. I ended up watching it all because of Lauren Cohan and Iko Uwais. Just had too.

Got this movie via T-Mobile Tuesday Redbox Promo.

Transformers: The Last Knight - 變形金剛5:最終騎士

Transformers: The Last Knight (變形金剛5:最終騎士) is an 2017 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Glenn Morshower, Laura Haddock, and Anthony Hopkins. This is the fifth film of the Transformers movie franchise and all have been directed by Michael Bay. This is second time Mark Wahlberg takes the lead.

The age of Transformers is behind and the government is set to shut them down. Hunted, the remaining people that still believe in them are in hiding. But new force treathens the earth. Those that believe must join with the Transformers that helped during the age of knights. With this secret society engaged again, can they rise up to defeat the new treat?

Well, this is a Michael Bay movie. Things are beyond. Spectacle should be expected. I wanted unwind from a tough week and not think. Rented this from Redbox. Took my mind off stuff for a bit. Might help you out in the same arena.

Daddy's Home 2 - 家有兩個爸X2

Daddy's Home 2 (家有兩個爸X2) is an 2017 film. The movie stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. The supporting cast include Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church, Hannibal Buress, and John Cena. For the sequel, they added Alessandra Ambrosio, John Lithgow and Mel Gibson to the supporting cast.

This Christmas, the grandfathers get involved in the picture. Brad's dad, Don, played by John Lithgow, and Dusty's dad, Kurt, played by Mel Gibson. Instead of a calm Christmas in the suburbs, they decide to get a big house in the snowy mountains. Dusty and his dad do not get along. Brad and his dad get along too well. With this in mind, the two merging families go at it in their own way. But wait, to Dusty's dismay, his wife's ex-husband, Roger, played by John Cena, also joins the fray. What a Christmas! Will they survive it all?

The second time around, with the addition of Mel, Johh x2 and Alessandra made the movie a bit interesting. The hijinx still still primarily with Will and Mark, but the supporting cast make their lives a lot harder to live. I was laughing at many parts, but was not as much as the first one. Maybe I kind of knew what was on the horizon. But it was a funny movie and I like Will Ferrell movies. This one worked for me.

Daddy's Home - 家有兩個爸

Daddy's Home (家有兩個爸) is an 2015 film. The movie stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. The supporting cast include Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church, Hannibal Buress, and John Cena. The movie was a Christmas hit as counter programing to the massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Will Ferrell plays Brad, who has marriage Sara, whom brings to the marriage, a son and daughter. Brad cannot have his own biological kids, but longs for kids in his life. Brad devotes himself to be the best father he knows how to be. BUT his step kids are still not accepting. One Christmas, they biological father and Sara's ex-husband decides he's going to visit. Enter Dusty Mayron, played by Mark Wahlberg. Brad and Dusty couldn't be more opposite of each other. With their "real" dad back, the two kids start to take to him and Brad starts to fell left out. How will this story end?

I laughed a lot in this movie. Sometimes to point of crying. But on the second watch, I did not. So, the jokes only work once if you're not expecting them. The trailer does leave quite a bit of stuff out. A modern comedy with modern fatherhood dilemmas presented.

Lone Survivor - 紅翼行動

Lone Survivor (紅翼行動) is an 2013 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana. The movie is based on an 2007 novel of the same name.

A four man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team is tasked to track down and to kill an Taliban leader named Ahmad Shah. The go into the hills above a village to identify Ahamd Shah. However, they are discovered and a long drawn out stand off happens. As you can tell from the title of the film, only one member of the four man surveillance team makes it back alive.



The movie was a mild box office hit due to the time it was released. The film was released during January, generally a slow time of the year. It started a limited release run during Christmas of 2013. But did most of its business in 2014.

What did I think of the film? It was slow to start and bit of a let down at the end. But entertaining for the most part. It shouldn't be compared to American Sniper in any way shape or form. But it is a war time movie and it does go into a bit that war is not good.

Ted - 熊麻吉

Ted (熊麻吉) is an 2012 film. The movie stars Mark Walberg, Mila Kunis, and the voice of Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane also wrote and directed this movie.

Mark Walberg plays John Bennett, a boy from south Boston. As a wee lad, he wishes that his Teddy bear could become real. By the very hand of GOD, his teddy bear did become real. However, that's not the movie, its 27 years later and the boy has grown up. But so did the teddy bear and they are still best friends. However, Ted is not a good role model. Prone to negative vices and not very responsible. Ted strains the relationship between John and his three year long girlfiend, Lori. Lori makes John pick, her or Ted. Well, he picks Ted. But realizes that was a big mistake and wants Lori back.



This movie was all sorts of bad. Basically a license to be raunchy with an "adult" teddy bear. The enveloped was pushed and the gross out humor was there. If you're into these type of films, its just another one. Get on the boat, because we're going to get these films on a regular basis. Blame the Farrelly Brothers for making this genre so successful and even back to the 1970s with Animal House.

Contraband - 禁運品

Contraband (禁運品) is an 2012 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, and Giovanni Ribisi. I've seen this film on Blu-ray and multiple times via HBO.

Mark Wahlberg plays Chris, an owner of an security installation company. He's chilled from his former life of running "contraband" on ships. Married with children, he tries to stay away. Hey, but if he did, we wouldn't have a movie. When Chris's wife owes some sharks money, he is forced into action to get a pay day to settle the dept. However, there's a bigger plot on the side that puts Chris's family in harms way. Can Chris save the day?

Of course, its a movie! Mark plays a really compelling character with skills and an dark past. A past that we can stereotype into kung fu master territory. When he's force to do a job, the movie kicks into high gear. At its essences, this is an heist movie. And all well made heist movie rock! This one is no exception!

The Fighter - 燃燒鬥魂

The Fighter (燃燒鬥魂) is a 2010 film. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. The supporting cast includes Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. The movie is a based on the life story of "Irish" Micky Ward, a professional boxer.

The movie focuses on the boxing career of Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. Micky is a welterweight boxer and is training for an upcoming fight. You notice that there's a HBO crew following them around. The crew is there to shoot a documentary about Dicky Eklund, played by Christian Bale, Micky's brother. Micky's head trainer is Dicky and the manager is his mom, Alice played by Melissa Leo. They get to the fight to, but have to change plans and still fight to get the purse money. As the movie moves on, its the balance of family and professional career as a story that's presented. The story of Micky's relationship with Charlene is explored in regards to Micky and against his family.

The movie was an enjoyable watch. Embellished true stories seem to have that kind of effect on people. In the back of your mind, you're always thinking, this is true, it could have happened. I can see why a lot of people had this film in their top ten list from 2010. However, the movie was just ok for me. As the movie progress, I did not not feel an emotional attachment to Micky. Yes, he's trying to love his family and make ends meat. Yes, he trying to make good with his daughter and start fresh with Charlene. Yet, through it all, it was just a presentation of a story. The character development for Micky was very little and I was trying hard to connect. But the story started to get in the way. Dicky's descent into darkness was heart wrenching, but I was having a hard time caring. In all, a enjoyable movie that presented a nice embellished true story, but just didn't get me all that interested.

The Departed - 無間道風雲

The Departed is a 2006 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Vera Farmiga. Based conceptually on the 2002 HK film, Infernal Affairs.

The high concept of the high is that the cops and mob send a mole into the others system at a young age. For the cops, a young recruit is asked to drop out and infiltrate the mob to relay information back to the captain. Vice versa for the mob. They get a young mobster to join the police department and pass information along so the mob boss can keep from getting busted.

Both "The Departed" and "Infernal Affairs" plays this concept.

But The Departed is based in Boston and with the Irish Mob. The undercover cop is played by Leonardo DiCaprio and the undercover mobster is played by the Matt Damon.

There are many many similiarities between the two films, but they are really different at the same time. Independently, The Departed can stand as a good film.

I however did watch Infernal Affairs back in 2002 and was completely blown away. I ended up watching the film with my wife and friends within a few weeks. It was one of those, we got to watch it together films so we can talk about it.

So, watching the departed and knowing many of the plot points, it wasn't as exciting and I wasn't in suspense.

However, I don't think you can watch both. You need to watch one or the other. Pick which one and don't compare.