The Family Plan ★★★½

AMERICAN action comedy The Family Plan does exactly what it says on the cover.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any particular way, shape or form.

But what it does, it does very well, providing an entertaining and amusing family-friendly film.

Even though it could be considered a spy thriller with a fair body count, it’s primarily a comedy with no blood  spilled.

You’ve seen the plot before and, truth be known, quite regularly in recent years.

Mark Whalberg plays Dan Morgan, a car salesman living a quiet life in suburban New York with his wife Jessica and their three children.

Dan is intent on staying under the radar, to the extent he always evades having his photo taken, even when named employee of the week, and doesn’t like going on holidays.

One day, he is attacked in the supermarket and is forced to defend himself, while baby Max is strapped to his chest, ala Hard Boiled.

After the attack, Dan contacts his former associate, Augie, to find out why he was attacked because, surprise, surprise, he is a former CIA agent in hiding. Dan’s former employer, McCaffrey, who considered him a surrogate son and former lover Gwen, who has surreptitiously befriended Jessica.

Dan insists the family heads off on a spontaneous road trip to Las Vegas, during which he fights off assassins unbeknown to his family for much of the time.

Wahlberg is his usual charismatic self and Michelle Monaghan has great fun as Jessica while Ciaran Hinds and Maggie Q make decent, comic villains.

A nice little surprise.