This summer has been jam-packed with blockbusters to take in on the big screen, so if you’ve had your fill of movie theater popcorn and “Barbenheimer,” perhaps now is the time for a good staycation. John Cena and Lil Rel Howery are back for Vacation Friends 2, which is now available for viewers with a Hulu subscription. Critics were able to screen the movie ahead of its straight-to-streaming release, and now they are here to share their opinions on the sequel to the 2021 buddy comedy.
Vacation Friends 2 returns its quartet of stars from the first movie, with the WWE star as Ron with his wife Kyla (Meredith Hagner), alongside Lil Rel Howery’s Marcus and Yvonne Orji’s Emily. The unlikely foursome seem to be at it again, meeting up for another getaway — this time with Ron and Kyla’s baby in tow. Unfortunately, the critics seem to agree that the sequel is a step back from what people liked about the first movie.
Liam Crowley of ComicBook.com rates the movie 2.5 out of 5, saying the talented ensemble is able to recapture some of the charm that made the first movie so enjoyable, but the addition of Steve Buscemi to Vacation Friends 2’s cast is a hindrance to not only the characters, but the actors’ established chemistry. Crowley continues:
Vacation Friends 2 does not reinvent the wheel, but it is still a worthwhile summertime experience. While classic comedy plot points and character tropes are abundant throughout, there is something special about watching an established actor like Cena come even further into his own. Beyond the standing ovation praise for Big Match John, the remaining corners of Vacation Friends' core four deserve their flowers for capturing that rare comedic chemistry across the board. A step down from the predecessor, yes, but Vacation Friends 2 will leave audiences wanting more from this blossoming comedy franchise.
Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com rates the sequel 1.5 out of 4 stars, saying that given its broad concept of unlikely couples forming a friendship, Vacation Friends 2 had the opportunity to try something fresh, but instead sticks to a bad formula. The critic writes:
Clay Tarver has sole writing credit and, as a returning director for this now-franchise, doubles down on a lot of the same gags: performances that confuse loud for funny, cell phones that make sounds at inopportune times, and visual jokes that go wide on the punchline and last only so long, minimizing their impact (as with the anticlimactic boat crash in Vacation Friends, or a surfing disaster here).
Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics says Vacation Friends 2 ramps up the action but not the humor. Audiences would prefer to see a simpler plot revolving more around its odd-couple main characters, the critic says, rating the movie 2.5 out of 5:
On paper, Vacation Friends 2 looks like more of the same raucous, unhinged vacay humor of the original... If only that were the case. What made the first film work so well was that the chaotic comedy was kept tight on the four central characters. You’ve got straight-laced Marcus and Emily (Howery and Orji) who just want to have a relaxing trip, and the twin force hurricanes Ron and Kyla (Cena and Hagner) as nomadic free spirits who show them how to cut loose. The sequel scuttles the good vibes of that dynamic by throwing in a number of elements that simply don’t work. Extra characters, lame subplots, a baby…a baby isn’t always just death for a funny sitcom. Sometimes it’s death for a potentially funny sequel, too.
Michael Nordine of Variety agrees with other critics that John Cena and Lil Rey Howery are doing their best to carry the movie, but inserting more action into the sequel diminishes the comedy that viewers enjoyed from its predecessor. Nordine writes:
This being a sequel that feels the need to one-up its predecessor, those shenanigans have escalated from interrupted wedding ceremonies to shootouts with the Cuban coast guard. Raising the stakes doesn’t make it any funnier, though. If anything, delving into action/comedy territory distracts from what made the original kinda-sorta touching at a few key moments: the heart beneath the hijinks. It’s still beating here, but not as strongly as it did the first time.
Jesse Hassenger of IGN rates Vacation Friends 2 a “Bad” 4 out of 10, writing that it adds a few fresh elements to its too-soon sequel, but they can’t change this comedy’s listless, laugh-light trajectory. Hassenger continues:
The whole movie feels like it’s making that mistake. Arriving just two years after the original, Vacation Friends 2 aspires to freewheeling irreverence, but settles for screeching tires and canned outbursts. Any observations it might have about couple-friend dynamics, new and prospective parenthood, or repairing fractured familial relationships are drowned out. These don’t need to be stunning insights into the human condition, but some greater sense of humanity would go a long way. In trying to avoid going through the motions, Vacation Friends 2 just keeps adding more motions.
While some of the critics aren’t willing to give up on this foursome of characters overall, it seems like Vacation Friends 2 does not provide the kind of story audiences want to see them in. If you were a fan of the first movie, or if this brand of action-comedy sounds like something you would enjoy, be sure to check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. The movie is available to stream now on Hulu, and you can also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule, or see what else is new and coming soon to Hulu.
