A Humorous, However Acquainted Journey Down Reminiscence Lane

Belatedly arriving 26 years after its 1997 predecessor, Good Burger 2 positions itself as a enjoyable nostalgia experience for followers of Nickelodeon’s signature All That sketch and the innate chemistry between Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Good Burger 2 has simply as a lot good-natured, family-friendly allure as the unique Good Burger, however it additionally leans a bit too closely into the aforementioned nostalgia, notably in its first half. Nonetheless, Thompson and Mitchell’s famed Abbott & Costello-style riffing and Mitchell’s eternally endearing portrayal of Ed nonetheless make Good Burger 2 a largely satisfying Good Meal.

Twenty-six years after the unique Good Burger, Dexter Reed (Thompson) has develop into a budding inventor and entrepreneur, however his newest failed endeavor finally ends up burning his home down with Dexter dropping the assist of his buyers. Needing to get again on his ft, Dexter contacts his outdated buddy and co-worker Ed (Mitchell), who fortunately welcomes Dexter into his residence and units him up with a job again at Good Burger, which Ed has since develop into the proprietor of. Dexter sees a giant monetary alternative when MegaCorp lawyer Cecil McNevin (Lil Rel Howery) approaches him and Ed with a suggestion to franchise Good Burger nation-wide. Nonetheless, Ed and Dexter uncover the fantastic print a bit too late when MegaCorp closes down Good Burger, planning to switch it and all its workers with totally automated robo-Eds beneath the brand new chain of Mega Good Burger, all as a part of a revenge plot by MegaCorp’s CEO Katt Bozwell (Jillian Bell), the sister of Ed and Dexter’s outdated nemesis Kurt Bozwell (Jan Schweiterman).

Good Burger 2‘s largest power — how completely it recreates the enjoyable and humor of its predecessor — can be its largest difficulty. In some ways, Good Burger 2 hits a lot of the identical main beats of the primary Good Burger, comparable to Dexter being a down-on-his-luck schemer trying to make a fast buck, Ed being an impossibly naive however ridiculously lovable goof who lends Dexter a serving to hand, a rival burger chain threatening to place Good Burger out of enterprise, and even a shock Good Burger supply to a serious movie star. Good Burger 2‘s familiarity to followers of the unique, Mitchell’s return in more moderen All That sketches, as will cameos by Josh Server’s Fizz, Lori Beth Denberg”s Connie Muldoon, and the unique Good Burger‘s Shar Jackson (this time, as herself) will certainly make them really feel proper at residence, however the adherence to the unique’s formulation does make the sequel typically predictable.

That is to not say that Good Burger 2 brings nothing new to the eating desk. There’s the hilarious contact of Ed being a father to half a dozen youngsters, all clad in Good Burger uniforms and donning their father’s signature braids; Ed’s household life additionally units up a humorous bait-and-switch cameo for the unique Good Burger’s would-be seductress, Carmen Electra’s Roxanne. Dexter additionally has a household story of his personal, together with his failed enterprise ventures having alienated him from his sister and his niece Mia (Kamaia Fairburn), the latter having develop into a Good Burger worker earlier than Dexter’s return. In true Good Burger vogue, Ed and Dexter concurrently have not modified a bit and have modified utterly because the final time they have been on shift.

Good Burger 2 ups the ante on the slapstick and cartoonishness of the primary Good Burger — it is simply sufficient to maintain its humor contemporary with out going overboard. As with the unique, Thompson and Mitchell are what make the premise work. Kenan Thompson has refined his deadpan humorousness tremendously within the time between the primary Good Burger and his commencement from All That to Saturday Evening Stay, together with his returning Dexter a extra assured and fewer Machiavellian plotter who genuinely values Ed’s friendship and his relationship together with his household. Kel Mitchell, in the meantime, hasn’t misplaced a step together with his signature character within the least. Mitchell’s unattainable cheerfulness and fun-loving persona alone make Good Burger 2 well worth the wait, his Ed nonetheless screwing up prospects’ orders in probably the most farcical methods doable. Ed’s relationship together with his son Ed 2 (Alex R. Hibbert) additionally provides to the allure of Good Burger 2, with Ed exhibiting the up-and-coming Good Burger worker the ropes in each comedic manner he can.

Apart from its anticipated comedic hijinks, Good Burger 2 can be on subject concerning using A.I. and automation being key components of Mega Good Burger’s enterprise mannequin. Good Burger 2 has some surprisingly related (if not precisely refined) factors to make about robotics and automation doubtlessly changing human staff within the service trade, most made by Mitchell’s Ed. Naturally, Ed and robo-Ed alike get their ideas on the matter throughout in methods which are each convincing and fittingly hilarious.

Good Burger 2 does what each legacy sequel units out to do — it provides its viewers a heat feeling of nostalgia whereas bringing new characters and ideas into the combo. The movie largely succeeds as a goofy family-friendly romp simply in time for the vacation season. Admittedly, Good Burger 2 does hew a bit too intently to the fundamental story construction and total template of the primary Good Burger. Ultimately, the foolish, charming enjoyable of Good Burger 2 reveals that the franchise continues to be a great distance off from going into the grinder.

Good Burger 2 is now streaming on Paramount+. The movie is 90 minutes lengthy and rated TV-PG.