Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston have done it again. Along with some familiar faces such as Adeel Akhtar (The Maharajah), John Kani (Colonel Ulenga), and Dany Boon (Inspector de la Croix), alongside new characters that keep the mix fresh and exciting. So what’s different? Murder Mystery 2 is fun, exciting, and a new take on the adventure of Nick and Audry. However, the initial charm of Murder Mystery clouds the sequels in some ways.

It’s well established that Sandler plays the same character– a funny, sarcastic, and everyday man while Aniston plays the smart yet sweet wife. Both are uninteresting character types, but somehow their chemistry melts together so well we forget that they are cemented into these roles.

Audra and Nick return to New York and begin a private and investigative business; however, they are unsuccessful as their married life and work bleed together. They decide to take a breather. This time around, Audra and Nick are going to Maharajah’s wedding. While attending the pre-celebration, they get caught in another murder mystery when Maharajah’s new bodyguard Mr. Lou (Larry Myo Leong), turns up dead, and the Maharajah is kidnapped. Surprisingly, unlike the first movie, not much murder happened, which may have been the downfall of the sequel because it’s a murder mystery. Where’s the murder?

Most, if not all, comedies rely heavily on characters to drive the story further and to create unique and fun storytelling. Murder Mystery 2 has an onslaught of new characters. First up was Claudette (Mélanie Laurent), Maharajah’s wife. Much is left desired with this character. She should be the prime suspect, so it would be assumed she would get screen time, but that’s nothing. Her personality holds nothing much to be desired.

Countess Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Imani (Zurin Villanueva) were characters I could stand behind, as they both had charisma and hilarious lines. Still, sadly, like most of these characters, they didn’t get that much screen time.

Francisco (Enrique Arce) was probably the best addition to the cast, as he had the funniest lines. Most of them pertained to his promiscuity and sexual love toward Audrey, which was borderline creepy yet laughable.

As for the villains of the story… they were quickly spotted and, quite honestly, very dull. Compared to the first movie, we had a deeply rooted murder mystery and actual detective moments. Where in the sequel, Saira (Kuhoo Verma), the Maharajah sister, was quickly the second prime suspect. The audience’s guess of who the killer is in the first movie is a bit of a shot in the dark. While having Detective Miller (Mark Strong) be at the forefront of the operation was relatively lackluster.

Our returning characters, such as the Maharajah, are still funny as ever. Colonel Ulenga is a charming character, but Inspector de la Croix changed quite drastically to fit the weird incompetent detective who was far different from the first movie. Not to mention a random love interest at the film’s end with a new character Susan (Jillian Bell). What was the point of that?

So why watch the sequel if the first one is so much better than it?

There are pretty, honestly, hilarious moments. Sandler and Aniston relied heavily on physical comedy this time, and it pulled off. When Nick and Audrey are kidnapped in the van and must take out all the bad guys on the bus, it is a comedic scene that should not be spoiled. Or when Nick and Audrey have kidnapped themselves and have to roll over to get to safety in a circle of fire. Pure gold! The best scenes are when the two are together bouncing off at these very well-crafted scenes. As mentioned earlier, their chemistry reads well on screen. Nick is not the greatest detective, but he knows how to buck up when his wife is in trouble. But no worries because Audrey is just as quick-witted when her husband is near death as well.

Rank: 3/5

Although the first movie had more drive and kick, Murder Mystery 2 is still fun to view with the family. There has yet to be a confirmed third installment, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix came out with a third movie, as it’s fun, exhilarating, and filled with comedy.