Good Burger 2 Review – An underdeveloped sequel that should have been released a decade ago

By Amanda Guarragi
Published: November 24, 2023 (Last updated: January 25, 2024)
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Good Burger 2 Review
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in Good Burger 2 | Image via Paramount+

Summary

Kenan and Kel are bringing the Nickelodeon humor back with a hint of Gen Z that makes Good Burger 2 a different movie to sit through than the original.

In the first Good Burger, a dim-witted teenager and his new coworker try to save the old burger joint they work for from failing after the opening of a brand new burger restaurant across the street. The story has always been simple, but the humor from Kenan and Kel added some comedic magic. It wasn’t expected to become a cult classic as it did, and now comes a sequel, Good Burger 2, for Paramount+, about a decade too late.

In the 90s, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell became superstars because of their show Kenan and Kel and, of course, the first Good Burger. Those born in the 90s grew up with the two of them. And now, whenever 90s babies see Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live, it fills them with nostalgia. If you were a Nickelodeon kid, All That was the 90s kid version of SNL. So many young comedy stars came from that show, including Kenan and Kel. What began as a sketch on All That became a TV movie for the pairing and became successful.

Good Burger 2 review and plot summary

What’s interesting about Good Burger is that Kenan and Kel became the comedy duo of the 90s. It is also known as a stoner comedy even though it’s family friendly. The humor compliments the 90s slang and how everyone conducted themselves during that decade. Life was very different and that’s why Good Burger is such a throwback for the culture.

It has been over two decades since Dexter Reed (Kenan) and Ed (Kel) have seen each other. Dex was always inventive and had unique ideas so he tried to make something happen for himself. Somehow Dexter ends up setting his house on fire after a project didn’t work out.

Ed’s life turned out well as he had a family of his own and he claims that he is very lucky to have this perfect life. It was interesting to see that Ed was in a better position than Dexter and thankfully Ed pulled some strings to get Dex working at Good Burger again.

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The main cause for Good Burger being put in jeopardy is that a lawyer (Lil Rel Howery) from a large corporation comes in and requests that they turn this burger joint into a franchise restaurant. Ed likes the small-town feel of Good Burger and wants everything to stay as it is. Dex has been investing money and hoping to hit it big for himself and his family and notices that his niece is working at Good Burger because of a failed deal he did for her mom.

Good Burger 2 has corporate workers come in and try to separate Kenan and Kel throughout the film to see if one of them would sway toward making this a franchise. There are funny moments that are plucked from All That and the original film that make this a serious throwback to the 90s. The humor is definitely outdated and does not fit the new mold for Gen Z, but for the 90s kids this is a nice blast from the past with two of the funniest guys from the decade.

Does Good Burger 2 do the original justice?

In the end, if you are a Kenan and Kel fan and you want to feel nostalgic then definitely give this a go. However, the humour may not appeal to audiences as it once did in the 90s and that’s the main reason to not tune in. It’s hard to even describe the humor because it felt very familiar but it also caters to Gen Z which is a hit or a miss. It’s mainly a miss because that type of TikTok humor just doesn’t work on an older crowd.

Good Burger 2 does its best to recapture the magic, but it sadly doesn’t do the original film justice. It’s a goofy sequel that doesn’t stick the landing or even have a strong enough story to carry through.

What did you think of Good Burger 2? Comment below.


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