by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Are you ready to go on another vacation with Adam Sandler on Netflix’s dime? Sandler has certainly found a great deal with Netflix, as he gets to have plenty of fun with his friends on location, and Netflix makes a ton of money from it. Sandler has a knack for making comedies that are entertaining enough and attract the audience. His budding Murder Mystery franchise is the perfect example. His real-life friend Jennifer Aniston joins him as his on-screen wife, and they are whisked away to beautiful locations due to murders and kidnappings. The first Murder Mystery was quite the hit on Netflix, and now it is finally time to jump back in the saddle with the Spitzes.
Does Murder Mystery 2 pick up where the fun left off in the first film? Director Jeremy Garelick has plenty of experience working with The Sandman, and he knows what to do. The main driving force of the first two films in this franchise is the incredible chemistry between Sandler and Aniston. You can tell without a doubt that they are real-life friends. Their chemistry is organic, and they make a believable bickering married couple. This time around, their marriage is a little rockier. Their private investigation business is not soaring like they hoped, and it is putting a strain on their marriage. But when their buddy, The Maharajah (from the previous outing, played by Adeel Akhtar), is kidnapped from his own wedding, the Spitzes need to jump into action. No matter the amount of action or twists going on, the shining light is always the banter that Sandler and Aniston have to offer.
But does Murder Mystery 2 deliver a satisfying caper? Thanks to Rian Johnson, that bar has been raised for the murder mystery genre. But these Sandler/Aniston outings certainly do not meet that new bar. There is nothing clever about this mystery, as it leans in on plenty of familiar beats. But even when the film tries to throw some twists and turns, they land flat. There are no genuine surprises — as they all feel so telegraphed or dumb… but at least Sandler and Aniston are fun.
Does Garelick offer up anything interesting behind the camera? Not so much. This feels like a Netflix presentation, and it never reaches the point of feeling legitimately cinematic. There are some thrilling action set pieces, like a van chase through Paris, or even a climactic confrontation on the Eiffel Tower, but there is a lot of quick editing to cover up the stunt work and lackluster action. Luckily the pacing is good, and this 90-minute film moves along quite well. There are jokes flying around every few seconds, and a decent number of them will at least get a chuckle out of you. This is certainly not Sandler or Aniston’s funniest work, but they do a solid job of getting laughs and getting us invested.
But is Murder Mystery 2 worth your time? There are plenty of talented performers that fill out this cast, even if most of them are just there to have some fun. Sandler/Aniston is an undeniably fun and charming pair, and Garelick leverages them to the max. This sequel has a bit of everything, from car chases, to dance routines, to rom-com elements. It is a silly and dumb ride that is at the very least a fun film to watch.
Score: 5/10
Murder Mystery 2 is currently streaming on Netflix
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