Movie Review: Wahlberg’s “The Family Plan” is an Entertaining Road Trip

Mark Wahlberg is one of Hollywood’s “dependable” actors. 

His movies are something akin to a meal at Applebee’s. 

Like the family-oriented restaurant chain, Wahlberg serves up comfort food…in cinematic form. Will it be the greatest cuisine you’ve ever tasted? Of course not. 

But it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes the Riblets Platter with a side of fries is all you really need. 

It is in this spirit that I dive into my review of Wahlberg’s latest offering, “The Family Plan.” The Apple TV+ original features a tried-and-true setup that has been used multiple times in modern cinema. 

Wahlberg plays Dan Morgan, a successful car salesman in Buffalo, New York, who just so happens to be a former assassin. 

He lives an idyllic suburban life with his wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan), son Kyle (Van Crosby), daughter Nina (Zoe Colletti), and bonus baby Max (twins Iliana and Vienna Norris). 

Morgan’s world is turned upside down while he is shopping at a grocery store with Max. As Dan is perusing the aisles, a mystery man attacks. 

The result is a humorous fight scene with various food items and shelves tossed asunder. (Our protagonist — with his son strapped to his chest in a baby sling — does everything in his power to subdue the attacker and keep his baby safe.) 

He senses his old life is coming back to haunt him — a past he has managed to keep secret from his loved ones. 

With his family in imminent danger, Dan grabs his daughter from high school, his eldest son from a friend’s house, and his wife from work, telling the brood he’s taking them on a surprise vacation to Las Vegas. 

Confused as they are, his wife responds favorably, having yearned for a life that is a bit more spontaneous and “bigger” (something she confides to a stranger at her fitness club). 

The Morgans hit the road in their Honda Odyssey on a cross country trip that features plenty of hijinks, high-tempo action scenes, and huggable bonding moments as Dan tries to outrun (and outgun) their pursuers and also outrun his past. 

There isn’t much in the way of subtlety or nuance in “The Family Plan.” 

The movie is essentially a mashup of 1994’s “True Lies” and 1983’s “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” (Both movies are personal favorites of mine.)  

It is neither “high art” nor anything that will be mistaken for “best in genre,” but for what it is, it works. 

Netflix has made a living churning out this type of movie — throwbacks to the days of brick-and-mortar video stores, when a family was just looking for something fun to watch on a Friday night. 

On that point, “The Family Plan” is the most viewed movie in Apple TV+ history according to Deadline. 

There are some genre tropes that fall flat, but the performers seem enthusiastic and do a yeoman’s job with the material. I particularly liked Michelle Monaghan as Jessica.  

For a celebrity who burst on the scene as hip hop persona “Marky Mark,” Wahlberg sure has come a long way. 

(Don’t worry Marky Mark fans, there is a fun road trip moment where Wahlberg uses his pipes as he and Monaghan sing along to “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice). 

As I mentioned at the outset, he is one of Hollywood’s most dependable stars.  

Wahlberg has found a nice groove with family-oriented comedies like the “Daddy’s Home” franchise and “based on true events” movies like “Lone Survivor.”  

And that’s the actor’s secret sauce. 

Going back to that Applebee’s analogy, Wahlberg seems comfortable serving Middle America fare that is casual, classic, and dependable.

“The Family Plan” fits that order to a T. 

“The Family Plan” is included with an Apple TV+ subscription. 

Rated PG-13. Runtime: 1 hr 59 min (Be sure to watch through the credits!)

>> For more great content, follow me on Twitter/X: @TheJonCrunch 

Previous post: Hidden Gems: Apple TV+ Series “Echo 3” is a Suspenseful Espionage Thriller 

Hidden Gems: Apple TV+ Series “Echo 3” is a Suspenseful Espionage Thriller

If there is one thing you can say about the Apple TV+ streaming service, it’s that the “iFruit” company doesn't make the same show twice. 

When Apple teased its initial original content offerings back in the first quarter of 2019, many assumed the breakthrough hits would be dramas like “The Morning Show” (which, in my opinion, has never quite lived up to its potential).

But dramas haven’t been the key hook. Apple TV+ has largely built its reputation on the feel-good comedy “Ted Lasso.” 

The service offers an eclectic mix of shows. A surprising number of the offerings are compelling (a solid foundation for a service featuring original content only). 

I just finished watching the military thriller “Echo 3” (which premiered Nov. 23, 2022) on Apple TV+, and I have some thoughts. 

“Echo 3” is centered around the kidnapping of Amber Chesborough (Jessica Ann Collins), a scientist who is researching psychedelics in the jungles of Colombia. 

As the show begins, we see Amber’s wedding to Sgt. Eric “Prince” Haas (Michiel Huisman), a Delta Force operator whose father (Bradley Whitford) owns a company that manufactures military arms and technology. 

We also meet Amber’s brother, Sgt. Alex “Bambi” Chesborough (Luke Evans). Bambi serves in the same Delta unit as Eric. 

Prior to Amber’s research trip to Colombia, her newly-minted husband places a tracking device in her backpack because he is worried about her safety. 

The seemingly innocuous move opens up the proverbial can of worms. When the research group is confronted in the jungle by local revolutionaries, the beacon is discovered. 

The revolutionaries are convinced that Amber works for the Central Intelligence Agency and believe that her innocent research trip is anything but. As a result of their suspicions, Amber is taken hostage. 

Her husband and brother do everything in their power to try and free her. What starts off as a relatively routine hostage negotiation soon devolves into a series of ill-fated rescue attempts — operations that have the potential to plunge South America into full-scale war. 

As the layers of the onion are peeled back, viewers learn that the kidnapping is part of a larger chess game being played by those in the highest corridors of power. 

Our heroes find themselves in a deadly game that leaves their fate in doubt. 

As it regards settings for geopolitical thrillers, Latin America is a fascinating theater.

I recently wrote a review of Steve Stratton’s drug war novel “Shadow Tier” (read my review). The events in that novel primarily take place in Mexico. 

Fans of this genre might also recall that the second season of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series (read my review) took place in Venezuela (a country that features prominently into the events of “Echo 3”). 

Yet the feel of “Echo 3” immediately brought to mind the 1993 action movie “Sniper.” That film’s sweaty jungle atmospherics and moody vibe made it one of my favorite action movies of the 1990s (I recall watching it at Omaha’s now-defunct Indian Hills Theater, and still marvel at how good a low-budget action movie can be with crisp writing and solid acting). 

Interestingly enough, one of the directors on “Echo 3” is Claudia Llosa, the niece of “Sniper” director Luis Llosa. 

What helps “Echo 3” transcend its screenplay are the performances (trust me, there are certain moments where the thick melodrama is a “hot mess”). 

Jessica Ann Collins is solid as the waifish Amber Chesborough. She’s one of those performers who can portray volumes of emotion with a single facial expression. 

I really bought into her character’s internal turmoil throughout the season’s 10-episode arc. 

I also liked Luke Evans as “Bambi.” The Welsh actor did a yeoman’s job playing a troubled — yet dedicated — special operator with a complicated past. 

“Bambi” has spent most of his life protecting his sister, and that dedication was evident during the course of events. 

The actor has appeared in the “Fast & Furious” franchise and played Gaston in Disney’s live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Less appealing was Dutch actor Michiel Huisman. “Game of Thrones” fans might recognize Huisman (who first appeared in the show’s fourth season). 

I didn’t mind his portrayal of “Prince” — the privileged son of a wealthy arms dealer. Be that as it may, the character’s development left something to be desired. “Prince” came across as something of an empty vessel during the show’s narrative arc. 

While that might have been by design, I didn’t find much to like about the character. There just wasn't a lot there. 

There are also a number of good supporting roles in “Echo 3.”

Martina Gusman’s role as Violeta Matiz — a political journalist — was particularly strong. 

I also enjoyed seeing Temuera Morrison (who currently plays Boba Fett in the “Star Wars” universe) featured in a bit part as an ex-New Zealand SAS operator. 

“Echo 3” is based on the Israeli series “When Heroes Fly” (which is based on a novel of the same name by Amir Gutfreund). 

The series was developed for Apple TV+ by Mark Boal. 

Boal is no stranger to this genre — something that is evident throughout “Echo 3.”

Boal is the writer/producer of films like “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” He also co-wrote the Netflix film “Triple Frontier” (which could be a companion piece to “Echo 3”). 

If you’re wondering what the title “Echo 3” means, you aren’t alone. At no point in the show is the name explained. 

The Cinemaholic website had a piece trying to break down the title for fans. Below are some of their theories:

The word “echo” stands for “E” in the military alphabet. They suggest that title itself could be condensed down to “E3” — which (according to the article) could stand for E Squadron in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) hierarchy. 

Overall, I found “Echo 3” to be an interesting diversion. I’ve read numerous military/espionage thrillers in my 51 years (it is my favorite genre), so this series was right up my alley. 

The moody tone of “Echo 3” might turn off some viewers, but it is worth your time. It isn’t perfect, but the capable performances elevate the series. 

“Echo 3” also features some terrific action set pieces. 

If you’re willing to be patient with “Echo 3,” it proves itself to be a solid and suspenseful military thriller. I really enjoyed it. 

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