Murder Mystery 2 (Movie Review)

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are back for another go round of sleuthing in Netflix's Murder Mystery 2. The movie narrates the story of full-time detectives struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground. Nick and Audrey Spitz find themselves at the center of an international abduction when their friend, the Maharaja, is kidnapped at his own lavish wedding. I'll be totally honest and wouldn't drag this much, this is a dumb movie. There's no real way to sugarcoat it.

But just like with other dumb movies, it doesn't necessarily mean that it can't be enjoyable. Several characters from the first Murder Mystery movie return, making this sort of a reunion that erupts into chaos. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are Nick and Audrey, respectively, and the film opens giving us insight into how they've taken their escapades from the first movie and used those experiences to build out their own private detective agency.

But they're not wholly successful. One night, they're invited to the Maharaja's private island for his wedding, and from there, a kidnapping, car chases, explosions, shootings, and all sorts of slapstick comedy happen. The movie's only 90 minutes long, and it doesn't waste any time giving us background on new characters or developing relationships.

The movie just dives headlong into the fray and pretty much has the mystery chase going about 20 minutes in. Now because we know really nothing about any of the new players, other than a line or maybe two of dialogue to establish the relationship to the Maharaja, there's no emotional connection to them. They're all just expendable characters in the drama, even though they're not supposed to feel expendable.

We're supposed to be invested in them to at least a small degree, so that if they're in danger or they're the perpetrators, there's weight behind the actions. Now the action is crazy, and it's way over the top, making it ridiculous and absurd, but also fun to watch. There's a car chase that happens through the streets of Paris, and most of the action that we watch takes place inside a vehicle.

There's a bunch of mayhem in very close quarters, and it's somewhat exciting thanks to how the camera captures the action. And as characters are bouncing all around the interior, the energy and the excitement, it translates through the screen, making for a mild adrenaline rush. And then there's the dialogue delivery that's happening between Sandler and Aniston.

Their rapid fire banter feels clumsily natural, illustrating how unprepared they actually are for such an event that they're involved in, which then results in just unforeseen actions and consequences for everybody in the vehicle. The stunts, they're enjoyable, even though the actions are pretty predictable. I mean, we can tell how an altercation is going to resolve well before it happens, but most of the time I wanted that outcome, so the predictability just wasn't an issue.

There are a few other action sequences in the movie that are fairly thrilling, especially when the characters are put into precarious situations, leading them to react on impulse rather than any pre-planning or training. The dialogue throughout is serviceable, with some of the humor landing, but most of it feels cheesy, awkward and forced. And while I appreciate the consistency of joking banter that happens between Aniston and Sandler, it does tend to get tiresome and unfunny the longer that the movie goes along.

The story is really just a series of actions that force our characters into absurd situations and then watching them flail about trying to succeed. It's not a bad thing, but it makes the narrative extremely thin and utterly forgettable. This is the perfect movie if you need something to put on to just take a break from the world.

I am glad that some of the gags, though, work, especially when there are a few that are totally unexpected. And probably my favorite part in the entire movie comes before the case actually begins, where the Maharaja's wedding party is beginning.

It's very Bollywood with all of the music, singing and choreographed dancing. I actually love this part, even though it may only be included to try and capitalize on how Indian movies are beginning to get more Western acceptance. I could have used more of the song and the dance and just less of some of the cheap attempts at humor.

So overall, Murder Mystery 2 is an action comedy that benefits from the great chemistry and timing that Aniston and Sandler share. The story is painfully lackluster, the characters are completely undeveloped, and a lot of the humor falls flat. And while the action may be absurd at times, it does create some excitement and keeps the pace of the story moving at a rapid speed.

The 90 minutes are over and done quickly, making this a fine casual watch with very few stakes. Now, I still had some fun with the movie, but that doesn't necessarily make it good. I give Murder Mystery 2 four and a half over ten.

Images gotten from IMDB