Yes, darlings – we at London Mums packed our sparkliest coats, slapped on a touch more highlighter than medically advisable, and strutted down the global premiere red carpet in London for The Family Plan 2. And what a night it was. We rubbed shoulders (politely, but meaningfully) with the gorgeous Michelle Monaghan, the equally gorgeous Kit Harington, and the young cast who are so down-to-earth they made us forget we were wearing shoes we couldn’t feel our toes in.
So, after the glamour, the glitter, and the complimentary mini mince pies – what did we actually think of the film?
The story
Picking up two years after the first film, the Morgan family is now fully in on Dan’s previously hush-hush background as an ex-assassin. Instead of diving into deep emotional waters (or even shallow ones), the film opts for a more familiar route: dad panic, holiday chaos, and the kind of espionage you can easily follow while stirring gravy.
The spark that sets everything off is Nina – now a fully fledged university student – declaring she’ll be spending Christmas in London. Dan Morgan spirals, not because of any threat, but because tradition has been violated. The man can dodge bullets but not the thought of a family Christmas out of sync.
Add in her enthusiastic new boyfriend, a sprinkling of festive London landmarks, and the arrival of Dan’s half-brother Aidan (Kit Harington, brooding like it’s an Olympic sport), and you’ve got yourself a holiday dash of action, heart, dad jokes, and some scenes that feel suspiciously like they were filmed during a lunch break on The Embankment.
Does it all make perfect sense? Absolutely not. Is it entertaining? To our surprise – yes. Mostly.
The trailer
Watch it here before your children demand the remote:
The verdict
The Family Plan 2 is like the glittery Christmas jumper you bring out every year: you know exactly what you’re getting, but you’ll still wear it because it makes everyone smile – even if only ironically.
The film is warm, easy to watch, mildly silly, and wonderfully festive. Michelle Monaghan and Mark Wahlberg carry the emotional heart with genuine chemistry, while Kit Harington gives us the film’s best dramatic notes. The action is cosy rather than thrilling, which suits the season – nobody wants high-stakes danger while they’re negotiating the last Quality Street tin.
It’s a perfect pick for a family movie night where no one wants to think too hard and everybody wants to feel vaguely Christmassy. And after meeting the cast on the red carpet – charming, gracious, and fabulously grounded – we can confirm that this is a film we feel surprisingly connected to.
London Mums’ Rating: 7/10
A festive family adventure with heart, humour, sparkly decorations, and just enough dad-related chaos to keep everyone entertained.
Get the kettle on, grab the shortbread, and let The Family Plan 2 do exactly what holiday films are meant to do: make you smile without requiring any emotional heavy lifting.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
