This was a surprisingly entertaining film. With Sean Anders in the directors chair--the man that has brough up previous comedies with Mark Wahlberg in the form of Daddy's Home & Daddy's Home 2--there was more than a little hesitance to go and check out this film, and yet I came out of the theatre with a positive attitude towards the film.
Perhaps due to the premise of the film being strongly influenced by similar factors in Anders' own life (he has three children adopted out of the foster care system), the film is much more grounded in reality than his previous films, and as a consequence, the comedy is much less slapstick, and more relatable.
Instant Family is a very by-the-numbers film; predictable at every junction, due to two conflicting aspects. As a couple, Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne's characters has some brilliant chemistry, but these are not very unique personalities. We have seen these performances from Wahlberg and Byrne in other films in their careers, and that makes their actions less spontaneous. On the other side, the film is also predictable because the film is anchored by real experiences. This is not a group of writers trying to come up with something funny to add to the film. This script comes from parents. It is relatable and that is enough to look past the predictable nature of the writing.
The stand-out performance comes from Isabela Moner (you may recognise her from Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Transformers: The Last Knight, having worked with Mark Wahlberg in the latter). Her performance as a teen that has been bounced through the foster system is exemplary, coming across very genuine, and is the source of many of both frustrating and feel-good moments.
Now while the film works best because of it's more mature and heavier emotional themes, it does make the over comedic elements of the film inconsistent. In general it works really well, but there are some certain aspects of the physical humour that (depending on your perspective) could come across as dark humour; where slapstick humour crosses the line towards negligence. It is a fine line, and how well it lands will differ for each member of the audience, but has the potential to contrast the serious tone of the film, keeping things light-hearted.
It doesn't pull any punches. The ups and downs of fostering, adopting, parenting, it's all on display; not in an overly preachy way, but like an approachable source of wisdom. It's a light, but still throws curse words and some mature themes in there. A pretty strong emotional plot, that purposefully aims at the heartstrings.
Personally, I'm happy to see such a film receiving praise, as there are so many children in the foster system in need of loving families. Anything that could encourage people to look at that option when they are looking at starting a family, is great in my books.