AS film critics go, I like to think of myself as being fairly open minded. That said, there are a number of directors whose names provoke in me an unquenchable response. If the name Yorgos Lanthimos appears atop a film - as it did seven-time BAFTA winner The Favourite - I squeal with joy. On the other hand, there are directors who stir in me dread. Which brings me to the first of this week’s biggest releases: Instant Family by Sean Anders.

Featuring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne in its leading roles, Instant Family tells the story of a couple who seek to adopt a child after discovering a void in their otherwise happy life. In a none too subtle metaphor, an opening skit reveals that Pete and Ellie are house renovators and thus fix up broken homes for a living.

Browsing the field at an adoption open day, Pete and Ellie find themselves drawn to bright, strong willed teenager Lizzy (Isabela Moner). Just as they’re ready to sign, however, straight-talking care workers Karen (Octavia Spencer) and Sharon (Tig Notaro) pull out a catch. Lizzy is one of three. You take her and you get über sensitive ten-year-old Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and feisty six-year-old Lita (Julianna Gamiz) too.

Anders’ last film, Daddy’s Home 2, ranks amongst my least favourite films of recent years and so I thoroughly expected to hate Instant Family. I expected crass exploits to masquerade as wit, whilst the kids ran amok in a battle of wills with their new, hapless parents. While, to some extent, all of that is present here, Instant Family is actually hugely likeable.

It’s far from perfect but there’s a forgivable spine of sensitivity here. In crafting his story, Anders has drawn on his own experiences in the US care system and brought a surprising emotional honesty. Perhaps driven by this virtue, many of his gags really land and, for all its tonal faults, I found the film warm and endearing.

To squeeze in one more release, The Kid Who Would Be King is a treat, served just in time for half term. A schoolboy twist on the legend of King Arthur, the film sees Alex Elliot (Louis Ashbourne Serkis - son of Andy) come face to face with destiny when the evil witch Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) threatens all that he loves. This is adventurous fun for all the family - enjoy!