‘Vacation Friends 2’ Review – Adding Action To The Mix Doesn’t Make Up For Tired Laughs

2021’s Vacation Friends managed to be more than a disposable Hulu comedy thanks in large part to the charm of its ensemble cast. Hollywood began playing John Cena to his strengths in comedies such as Trainwreck, Sisters, and Blockers so by the time the Hulu buddy comedy rolled around, audiences had become accustomed to his schtick. The former wrestler is able to make the lug-heads he’s playing lovable and when paired with the more straight portrayal by Lil Rel Howery, the results were surprisingly effective. Nothing about the outing screamed “let’s make a sequel” but one has to assume that Hulu got a boost in subscribers and enough minutes viewed to rejoin this gang on another trip. Sadly, despite the cast remaining the best sell of the project, Vacation Friends 2 is mostly a miss in terms of its comedy while adding action to the mix only makes this endeavor feel even more desperate in its execution.

When we first met our couples, Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) were an uptight pair on vacation that met the more rowdy duo of Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner). There was a series of events that brought them back together when they returned home that involved blacking out, Marcus believing he slept with Kyla, and a pregnancy he was ‘directly involved’ in. Once all the hijinks died down, the foursome formed an unlikely friendship that has continued as the sequel begins.

This time around Marcus and Emily have become less uptight but Ron and Kyla remain wildcards, albeit, with hearts of gold. The former couple is now married and is working on having a baby while the latter has brought their baby with them on a vacation resort to the Caribbean (don’t worry, the baby is eventually left with their favorite hotel manager (Carlos Santos) from the first film to babysit). There is an ulterior motive for this particular vacation because Marcus wants to meet the resort’s Korean owners in order to make a bid for the construction of a brand new property being built in Chicago. Marcus’ plans get turned upside down when Kyla’s criminal father Reese (Steve Buscemi) gets thrown in the mix after serving 10 years in prison. Reese has a hidden agenda that will throw our group into a plan involving drug dealers and the $5 million that he has stolen from them.

What made the first film work as well as it did was that it successfully relied on the mismatched pairings of its four leads. Most of the comedy stemmed from them being polar opposites and not much more was needed to generate laughs. Everything felt a bit more natural and organic. The sequel suffers from trying WAY too hard to force laughs and the end result just consists of light chuckles or jokes that simply don’t land. The problem isn’t Cena, Rel Howery, Orji, or Hagner. All four performers are still top-notch and do the best they can but the film’s script Clay Tarver, also back as the sequel’s director, is simply overstuffed with gags and situations that just don’t work. As you’re watching the film, you can feel how unnecessary the follow-up actually is which makes it a chore to get through even though the runtime is pretty slim.

Some of the jokes do work and many of them involve Ron and Kyla doing the most outrageous things in front of Marcus’ business associates that somehow impress them, despite Marcus being nervously worried that they will ruin his deal. There is some delight in knowing that despite how over the top they are (see them garnishing their margarita glasses with cocaine rather than salt or bringing their baby to the blackjack table), they are fiercely loyal to the friends they met by happenstance in the first film. Much of their stuff works because Cena and Hagner are deeply committed to their portrayals and play the comedy honestly. They somehow find the heart in their characters despite the shenanigans that ensue.

Cena in particular still showcases why comedy is his forte. Ron is incredibly likable even though on paper you would expect him to ruin just about any moment he would be involved in. The actor finds the right line to play up his character’s stupidity because he’s very much aware of the joke and finds all the right beats to make it work. Another interplay that allows Cena to shine is his desire to impress Kyla’s father, who simply does not like him. His efforts generate some of the film’s light laughs because Cena’s earnestness is actually pretty infectious. Honestly, there is a moment of meta-style humor where Ron expresses “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everybody likes me.” Buscemi’s Reese might need convincing but the audience is hyper-aware that Cena has this reputation in real life that translates pretty well on screen when it’s properly utilized.

Speaking of shenanigans, since this is a sequel there appears to be a need to up the ante a bit and this time interrupted wedding ceremonies just won’t do. Shootouts with Cuban coastguards and daring escapes via jet are added to the mix so instead of just a mismatched buddy comedy, we venture into action/comedy territory. The addition feels entirely unnecessary and it actually distracts from what made the first movie work as well as it did. The characters and the heart buried beneath all the laughs is why that installment succeeded.

At the end of the day, despite the likability and charm of its cast, Vacation Friends 2 isn’t worthy of an excursion. You can feel the cast trying and they do their best to make the best out of the uninspired comedy but most of it has a been there, done that quality to it. Hulu will likely see some success from the sequel on its platform because these films provide a diversion that most consumers don’t mind taking but if it generates a third vacation with this crew, please make it a trip worth taking.

Vacations Friends 2 is now streaming on Hulu.