Murder Mystery 2
NetflixIn a world where movies get longer by the week, Quentin Dupieux releases his 76-minute Smoking Causes Coughing, and Jeremy Garelick gives his 79-minute (without credits!) sequel to Murder Mystery in the same weekend. That’s right, Murder Mystery 2 contains TWELVE minutes of end credits (and, no, there’s no end credits scene) inside its 90-minute runtime. The whole plot can be seen a mile away, which is a shame since murder mysteries should keep audiences on their toes. Still, it’s one of the least egregious franchises Adam Sandler has done, and his screen pairing with Jennifer Aniston is always a welcomed affair.
Sandler and Aniston are the only reasons why anyone should bother with Murder Mystery 2. The plot is simple: detectives Nick (Sandler) and Audry Spitz (Aniston) are invited by the Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar) to his wedding on a private island. All seems to go well until the Maharajah’s bodyguard gets killed and the groom is kidnapped. The kidnappers immediately frame the Spitzes, who Detective Connor Miller (Mark Strong) puts at the top of his suspect list. But the Spitzes believe the suspects are among the Maharajah’s inner cicle – his wife Claudette Joubert (Mélanie Laurent), Countess Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith), his sister Saira (Kuhoo Verma), Francisco (Enrique Arce) and Colonel Ulenga (John Kani).
The kidnappers take Nick and Audrey to Paris, where the film becomes a wild goose chase between the Spitzes, kidnappers, and other suspects who want to steal $70 million in untraceable bonds for themselves. It gets a little convoluted, and the tight runtime doesn’t allow for proper character development, but Murder Mystery 2 remains fun throughout. Aniston and Sandler are on top form and have lots of fun being involved in a situation that gets crazier by the minute. Again, it’s not the most elaborate murder mystery, but their chemistry is so infectious that the audience will inevitably get tied up in the plot. Performances from the rest of the cast are also terrific, particularly Jodie Turner-Smith, even if her character feels underused.
Danny Boon reprises his role as Inspector Delacroix from the first film and is as funny as he was in the original. Kani is also hilarious as the Colonel, who will do everything he can to protect the Maharajah’s safety, even if it means losing another arm. He’s a bearer of bad luck, but Kani’s dry style at delivering his lines is always fun to watch. And that’s something that every Happy Madison film has going for. Even if they are awful (The Master of Disguise, Jack & Jill, and Grown Ups 2 come to mind), the cast seems to be having a blast. At least Murder Mystery 2 is somewhat entertaining.