Instant Family (2018)

The critic calls it the best Mark Wahlberg movie in a long time, praising its clear sense of purpose in telling a heartfelt story about foster care and adoption.

Anders delivers a funny and moving dramedy that hits the sweet spot of hilarious and heartwarming family dynamics. The strong supporting cast, including scene-stealing turns from Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro, adds sharp humor and depth.

The critic finds the film a sweet and funny comedy about foster parenting, drawn from personal experience and bypassing mawkish expectations with big-hearted humour. Wahlberg and Byrne's chemistry and the supporting cast, including care workers Tig Notaro and Octavia Spencer, are singled out for praise.

This is a well-executed, sentimental feel-good comedy that redefines family craziness as normal with a lite humanity. Wahlberg and Byrne are appealing as the befuddled couple, supported by strong comic turns from Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro.

The critic finds the film an engaging, entertaining comedy-drama with its heart in the right place, closer to Parenthood than a generic knockabout. It wins out on performances, especially from Rose Byrne and Isabela Moner, though tonal shifts between comedy and schmaltz are not fully unified.

The critic notes the film is more touching than funny, balancing broad slapstick with unexpected heart while delivering an old-fashioned message about the foster care system without sugarcoating its difficulties.

The critic finds the film sloppy yet sincere, an unwieldy mix of jokes and maudlin moments that ultimately works as a broad but big-hearted crowd-pleaser thanks to its warmth and effort.

The critic describes the film as both utterly heartfelt and utterly shameless, a dissonant mix of broad humor and earnest drama that mostly works despite jarring tonal shifts and stirs powerful emotions.

The film is described as a big, beige armchair of a studio comedy that mines talking points from the director's own fostering experience for laughter and tears. Byrne and Wahlberg are praised for their appealing comic pairing, though the overall tone is seen as conventional.

The critic notes genuine heart and feeling in the adoption comedy based on the director's experiences, but wishes it maintained a consistent tone without repeated forced gags and contrived situations. Strong performances by Isabela Moner and Margo Martindale stand out.

The film has good intentions but is uneven in tone with mixed results from its swings between tragedy and goofy comedy. Isabela Moner's complex, fierce performance as the troubled teen stands out as the strongest element.

The critic praises the film for balancing heart and humor while addressing foster care issues accessibly without being preachy. They single out the comic chemistry between Wahlberg and Byrne and the self-aware handling of sensitive topics.

The critic finds the film surprisingly deep and moving beyond its marketing as a feel-good comedy, praising the performances especially Isabela Moner and the handling of fostering themes with humor and heart.

The film starts as a broad comedy but reveals itself as an earnest and moving drama about foster parenting. The critic praises its honest portrayal of the challenges while affirming that love makes the effort worthwhile.

This well-meaning comedy mixes laughs with a positive message about foster care and adoption, making it a pleasant family film. The critic highlights the strong chemistry and performances of leads Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne.

The critic finds the film treacly, pandering, and tonally confusing, criticizing its clichéd suburban humor and failure to deeply engage with the subject matter despite good intentions. They single out the weak performances and predictable script.

The review dismisses the film as unengaging and clichéd, criticizing its predictable plot about adoption and lack of genuine emotional pull despite decent performances from the leads.