Actors have become pretty savvy to the lucrative nature of streaming sites for them over studio films for theatrical release.

An example would be Mark Wahlberg, who at the start of his acting career was making studio films for the cinema, but he has now made seven features for steaming sites, which has remarkably nearly earned him $1 billion.

Helping with that impressive sum is this sequel, to the not long since 2023 original, once again made for Apple TV.

The holidays are here, but not all the members are home in Buffalo, New York, where they should be with the Morgan family.

Dad Dan (Wahlberg) isn’t happy about his daughter Nina (Zoe Colletti) now studying in London, and she’s just told him she won’t be home for Christmas.

He decides that if she won’t come home, then the rest of the family will have to fly to her, and he uses a security issue in the capital city as an excuse, as that’s his line of business.

So before you can say “happy holidays”, The Morgans have arrived in festive London.

It’s a family re-union that takes an unexpected turn, which soon finds the entire family in danger, when someone Dan is related to, Finn (Kit Harington) comes after them all for family reasons.

The first The Family Plan was decidedly average, but did well enough for Apple to warrant a sequel, which as it turns out, is below average.

It’s once again directed by Brit Simon Cellan Jones, in what was his first US film, and with this sequel is now the third time with having Wahlberg as his leading man.

It is a film primarily about family, as the title declares. Secondly it works nicely as a festive advert for the European cities London and Paris. And then right at the bottom of the list is its premise, which sadly has a plot that is flimsy as toilet roll paper – value, 2-ply see-through paper at that. And much like said paper, this film is just as instantly disposable.

It’s reminiscent of National Lampoon’s European Vacation, but nowhere near as funny or charming, with very little looking at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Cellan Jones put a lot of effort into the locales looking appealing, helped by some nice handicam work, but as pretty as it all is, it can’t save a tired and dull script. It’s almost as if the story was written around the concept of filming in London and Paris at Christmas, and just making it up as they filmed.

The result is underwhelming, making for an unnecessary sequel, unwanted, like a useless Christmas present, that will quickly be cast aside and forgotten about.

It’s quids/bucks in for Wahlberg however, and despite the many negative reviews it will achieve, it will prove popular enough on Apple TV, especially with this sequel being Christmas film friendly and therefore joining the Christmas movie list, that Wahlberg’s account will be healthier off the back of it, making it a profitable plan for himself and his real family.

Regardless of what time of year it is though, this family reunion is definitely one to avoid.