Warning: Spoilers Ahead
“Nothing brings the family together like a road trip,” says Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) in Apple TV+’s new film The Family Plan; little does his family know, this isn’t your average matching t-shirt family trip.
At the top of the film, Dan and his wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) celebrate their anniversary in the same way since they started dating over a decade ago, going to the amusement park and riding a specific rollercoaster. Jessica foreshadows the rest of the movie when she hints about wanting to switch it up and have some excitement in her life; again, little does she know what’s about to come to her.
Apple TV+
While leaving the park, Dan catches someone recording him, and when he tries to intervene, the antagonizer graces him with a slushie shower. On the way home, Jessica teases him for diverting the situation because she believes he isn’t a “fighter.”
A few days later, while Dan is shopping for groceries with his newborn, he is again matched with a former enemy who will stop at nothing to harm Dan, leading to an all-out brawl ending with smashed glass and, in good film fashion, no consequences. On the other hand, Jessica meets a new friend, Gwen, (Maggie Q) who doubles as a travel agent at her boxing class.
It’s important to note that if you’re watching this with friends/family, you should watch the trailer beforehand because up until this point, there is no mention of Dan’s former life, making it a bit confusing to anyone who may not have context.
It isn’t until after this altercation that we learn Dan was a former assassin and a good one at that.
Dan soon realizes he’s not safe in Buffalo, so he embarks on a family vacation, a.k .a. a mission to get his family out of Buffalo for good. After tossing everyone’s cell phones off the highway in the name of safety, we learn about Dan’s older children.
Nina (Zoe Margaret Colletti) is a high school senior, soon heading into college on what should be a journalism major. She is in a situationship with someone who persuades her to be the opposite. Kyle (Van Crosby) is the idea of a “nobody” in the real world, but when he logs onto his gaming system, he is the ultimate celebrity. The overall family dynamic is exceptionally developed, allowing viewers to see themselves in one of the members.
During their road trip, the family stops along shady motels and visits Nina’s desired university choice, only to discover her “boyfriend” has found someone else to toy with. A few keg stands and yet another battle later, the Morgans are back on the road to Las Vegas, where the family will get the tickets to their new lives.
In Vegas, the parents go to dinner, and the kids go against their parent’s wishes as they head to the hotel ballroom for one of the year’s biggest gaming conventions. Throughout the dinner, Dan tries breaking the news to Jessica, even telling her in French; the problem is that she doesn’t speak French.
Nonetheless, the couple heads back to the room where one of his enemies hides. After threatening Jessica’s life, Dan has to put his hitman skills to use and take him out, much to the dismay and confusion of his wife. The following 10 minutes are the epitome of action-packed and comedy-driven as Dan has to take out more rivals in front of his family.
Once things slightly settle, Dan finally comes clean to his family, who are less than thrilled with their father’s former job. Jessica is so distraught she calls up her travel agent friend, Gwen, to help get her back home. Of course, her friend comes to the rescue, only to reveal that she is working on the side of the assassins and captures the Morgans.
As it turns out, they’ve been trying to get Dan and his family to get him back because an email wouldn’t have worked, right? Therefore, they give him the ultimatum to walk away from his family and back to the assassins, or his family goes. Another Hunger Games-esque violent battle ensues, and the whole family is in on it this time.
Jessica gets beaten time and time again before putting her track and field skills to use and taking down her friend with the help of her daughter. On the other side, Dan and Kyle team up to take down the rest of the squad until it’s only Dan and the head of assassins, also Dan’s father.
In one last fight, Dan takes down his father, and his family is freed for good. They go on to live subtle suburban lives where Dan is now a squad trainer; Jessica coaches the local high school’s track and field team; Nina is studying journalism at Standford, and Kyle is making a killing as the virtual celebrity, Killboy.
Apple TV+
Overall, The Family Plan utilizes comedy to balance out the hard-hitting fight scenes, contributing to portraying the story in an effective way and leaving no holes in the plot at the end.
So, when you need a break from the holiday rom-com, be sure to check out The Family Plan on December 15, only on Apple TV+.