Movie review: ‘Murder Mystery 2’ serves as a comedic but dull mystery movie, not a re-watch film

Senior Lantern reporter penderghast.1@osu.edu

While the comedic chemistry of Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston seldom fails audiences, their newest collaboration, “Murder Mystery 2,” doesn’t hold the rewatch potential of their other movies, like “Murder Mystery” and “Just Go With It.” With an overwhelming emphasis on action and a lack of solid comedy audiences were seeking, “Murder Mystery 2” failed to impress in the ways that other AnistonSandler movies have in the past.

To recap, we last saw Nick (Sandler) and

Audrey (Aniston) Spitz on their 15-yearsdelayed honeymoon to Italy as they solve a case of a long string of premeditated murders. Due to their success, they decide to quit their jobs and open their own detective agency, which has been struggling since the series’ previous installment.

To kick off the sequel, the Spitzes decide to reintroduce the excitement into their lives and forget about the recent rut they’ve fallen into by accepting a wedding invitation from Vikram Shivan Govindan (Adeel Akhtar), one of their surviving friends from the last film.

Similar to the first film, the trip quickly falls apart. Govindan, also known as The Maharajah, is kidnapped as his wedding festivities begin. With the kidnappers requesting a large ransom, the Spitzs find themselves in a pickle as they strive to save their friend. The pair is conveniently placed within the mix of a short list of suspects.

As most mystery films do, the film relies heavily on suspense, accusations and deceptions to string the audience along as answers inch closer and closer. Unfortunately, the cast of suspects lacks zest, containing a bland mix of underdeveloped characters with each of their motives and backstories more boring than the last.

As expected, there were a few one-liners and gags that brought the typical Sandler comedy to play, such as the vaping French police detective (Dany Boon) or Nick Spitz’s obsession with cheese at the wedding. These moments salvaged the movie from becoming completely uninteresting.

The easygoing chemistry between Aniston and Sandler is enough to make the movie bearable, and it’s evident to the audience they’ll enjoy the silliness of the film — even if it’s not a five-star movie.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars