Dog’s Movie House: “Murder Mystery 2” Will Satisfy Sandler Fans, But No One Else!

I am not a fan of Adam Sandler’s brand of comedy for the most part. It just doesn’t resonate with me. I do think he is very talented, especially when it come to challenging dramatic work like “Hustle” and ‘Uncut Gems” where talented directors force him to stretch a bit. Sadly, “Murder Mystery 2” is not one of those projects. The Happy Madison production is in the actively offensive realm of “Sandy Wexler” or “The Ridiculous Six” but it’s not particularly funny either. Sandler and Aniston have adequate chemistry but James Vanderbilt’s script doesn’t really give them anything to work with. Jeremy Garelick’s direction just kind of lays there with no real sense of kinetic moviement, making the various action scenes seem strangely muted. The script also wastes talented actors like Mark Strong, Melanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, and John Kani in supporting roles, often relegating them to one-joke characters, which wouldn’t be so bad if the jokes were at least a little bit funny.

Overall, “Murder Mystery 2” is a passable time waster for Adam Sandler fans and a dull slog for non-fans even at ninety minutes. Both actors deserve better from a creative standpoint, but “Murder Mystery 2” will probably be as big a hit for the streamer as the original film four years ago. Folks with discerning tastes should probably look elsewhere for quality entertainment. 2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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