‘Good Burger 2’ Review – Another Millennial Nostalgia Trip Made To Order
JB Augustine
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Legacy sequels are one of the current things at the movies, still, and they produce mixed results, still, as it’s often the case that something nobody asked for is produced. The latest entree served up with a side of fries, in a move that would only appeal to a certain crowd, is Good Burger 2.
It’s the kind of thing adult Millennials might demand since they had Nickelodeon at its peak when they were young. That includes the kiddie sketch show All That which was home to the original “Good Burger” skits which later spun off into the feature film.
That film, at the time a one-off to capitalize on the sketch’s popularity, has a following to this day and is enjoyable for children in a particular age range. Therefore, Paramount and the comedy duo of Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell see an opportunity. It’s a no-brainer to get the band back together on paper, but does that justify going back for seconds?
In Good Burger 2, Dexter (Thompson), an inventor, has moved on and up in life. He has everything until his latest invention backfires and burns his house down. Mark Cuban (himself) pulls funding for all future endeavors and Dex loses it all.
Crawling back to the old fast food joint, he finds his old buddy Ed (Mitchell) not only still works there but owns the place — for what that’s worth — and the service is still as slipshod as ever. Nevertheless, lawyers for a literal Megacorp. come sniffing around to surprisingly buy them out. Dex sees nothing wrong with this and rashly signs the contract, costing everyone their jobs.
Megacorp. is crooked, you see, and they want to automate and dehumanize the fast food industry. So, to redeem himself and save Good Burger, Dex and Ed have to stick it to their competition and bring the corporate titan down — despite, and at times thanks to, their usual buffoonery.
Like I already said, this film is a good idea on paper, but what could’ve been a refreshing return to form feels more of the same — like something you think you want until you see it. There are a few chuckles as well as some moments of nostalgia, but the comedy is the stagy variety show kind that’s only as funny as the gag or the pratfall.
On the positive side, Good Burger 2 knows its target audience and plays to it very well. The standard Nickelodeon demo of any generation should get a kick out of this movie and its jokes. While vaguely reminiscent of other too-little-too-late legacy sequels such as Clerks 2 or Bill and Ted Face The Music, the makers keep the shenanigans clean.
The whole family could enjoy it. However, there will be some references and cameos by ex-All That cast members the adults in the room will have to explain to their kids — assuming they remember the show’s early days.
But, even for those grown-up fans, this burger might take a while to eat. I wasn’t compelled to watch it in one sitting nor did I feel the need to get back to it right away. Overall, is it what I thought I was ordering? To that, I have to say, “Uhh, no.”
NEXT: ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Review: Truly A Dracula Lost At Sea
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