When the movie "Murder Mystery" was released in 2019, I was not sure what to make of the effort which teamed Jennider Aniston with Adam Sandler. I have always liked Jennifer, but Adam is another story for me. I can take him in small doses, and in movies where his voice doesn't sound like nails on a chalkboard. Nevertheless, after viewing "Murder Mystery" I was pleasantly surprised as the actors had great screen chemistry and Adam was less than annoying, and his character was actually likeable. The filmed proved a success, so Netflix has released "Muder Mystery 2" reuniting Jennifer and Adam, and I was actually looking forward to the sequel. The film is set four years after the original film and Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam and Jennefier) have quit their jobs and started their own detective agency despite Nick refusing to do what it takes to get his detective license. The two are often bickering about their new line of work and decide to take a break from their poorly received detective work and attend the wedding of their friend Vikram 'The Maharajah' Govindan (Adeel Akhtar), who will be married on his private island. When they arrive at the beautiful island, the Spitzes meet the French bride to be Claudette (Melanie Laurent), and are amazed at the opulent quarters where they will be staying. The couple are reunited with an old friend on the island, and during the night of the wedding party meet several new people including former soccer player Francisco Perez (Enrique Arce), Vikram's sister Saria (Kuhoo Verman) and snobbish Countess Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her snarky sidekick Imani (Zurni Villanueva). As the party proceeds, an elephant enters the room supposedly carrying Vikram, but it is discovered he has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Immediately after the discovery, Nick and Audrey get into detective mode, and plan to solve the mystery until some high-class detectives, led by former MI6 operator Connor Miller (Mark Strong) arrive at the island the next morning Navy Seal style. Miller wants the married duo to have no part in the hostage negotiation, but the kidnappers refuse to talk to anyone but Nick, who they nearly killed the night of the party. The kidnappers reveal to Nick their demand for $70 million dollars for the release of Vikram, and they must deliver the money to them at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Soon all are headed to France, and this is where the film really kicks into high gear. From this point forward there is plenty of over-the-top action, betrayals, and more witty banter between Nick and Audrey. There are plenty of moments I didn't expect, and that only adds to the fun of the film. The film's climax is in the Eiffel Tower, and the scrimishes here are exciting and often heart pounding. The ending sets in motion for what I hope is a third film as I have come to really enjoy the adventures of Nick and Audrey. All the actors are great, with Jennifer leading the way with their great comedy chops, and Strong proves to be as effective a villain as he was in the "Shazam" film. "Murder Mystery 2" is a fun action/mystery/comedy romp ready made for a movie night, and proves to be equal or better than the original. Now playing on Netflix. (Rated PG-13)
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