Between the pushy incentives from businessman Cecil (Lil Rel Howery) on behalf of his mystery boss and Dexter’s own money-grubbing selfishness as he tries to cash out by any means necessary, Ed, trusting of his closest friend and Good Burger, finds himself between a rock and a hard place. When Dexter’s notoriously bad business practice finds him signing Cecil’s contract without reading (and convincing Ed to do the same), the hope they gleaned via false promises plummets when they realize they’ve sold Good Burger to MegaCorp. Losing their jobs, the original store, and handing the business to Katt Boswell (Jillian Bell), the sister of the original film’s antagonist, Kurt from Mondo Burger, Dexter and Ed must fight to reclaim Good Burger from the AI and robot-driven capitalist nightmare that MegaCorp promises to transform it into.
“Good Burger 2” is a nostalgia trip at its core. Between callback jokes and visits from old characters, like Connie Muldoon (Lori Beth Denberg), the big-haired, rapid-fire customer, or Roxanne (Carmen Electra), now Ed’s nanny, the script is riddled with reminders of the first film. Yet even with its reliance on old shticks, the punchlines don’t falter, and “Good Burger 2” pleasantly delivers laughs with familiar gusto. Mitchell reprises his role with outstanding effect, providing ever-impeccable physical comedy. From headstands to food fights and quirky gaits to kinetic facial expressions, Ed doesn’t feel like he’s aged or changed from the first film, and it’s a delightful trip down memory lane and a successful foil to the development of Dexter.
Dexter is self-centered. When he returns to Good Burger down on his luck, it’s been five years, eight months, and 32 days since he last saw Ed. Yet, he arrives with expectations of a job and an eventual ploy to take Ed’s life’s work and get a few bucks for himself. Even with the subplot of their semi-toxic friendship dynamic, Thompson’s comedic chops are never under question. Even as Mitchell’s gallivanting antics are flashier, Thompson’s sarcastic quips and iconic vocal affectations maintain a cutting edge to the film’s otherwise goofy style. The actors feel like they never left. They maintain the chemistry from the first film, and it’s refreshing to see that their believability hasn’t dwindled with age; the youthful foolishness crucial to the film’s comedic core doesn’t feel forced or ingenuine.
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