Where I Watched It: Paramount Plus

English Audio Description?: Yes

Written By Betty Capone

Narrated By: Sri Gordon

Cast: Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sofia Black D’Elia, Emily Hinckler, Jillian Bell, Lil Rel Howery, Elizabeth Hinkler, Kamaia Farbrun, Wisdom Mitchell, Lori Beth Denberg, Carmen Electra, Mark Cuban, Pete Davidson, Igo Nwodom, Josh Server, Marsai Martin, Nicole Byer, and Danny Tamberelli.

Kevin Kopolo

Directed By: Phil Traill

If you are reading a review from any critic on Good Burger 2, it has to be for your own personal enjoyment. This is not a film for critics. The first one is Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. The reason there is a sequel is because there is a certain dumb magic this film has that has the ability to tap into a nostalgic audience looking to see Kenan and kel together again. Or, you are here to find out if the audio description works. Well, press on young person.

If you are a dude, and I am a dude, then by logic, we are all dudes. Somehow, when I look at a meta critic score for this, I think critics forget that this started as a sketch on Nickelodeon’s All That, long before Kenan Thompson joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. It was the magic of hearing Kel Mitchell’s Ed say “Welcome To Good Burger, Home Of The Good Burger, may I take your order?” That launched this franchise. For Lorne Michaels, who turned down Kel as a cast member for SNL, he really didn’t understand the comedic chops of Kel, and he got left behind, while the other half of the duo went on to become the longest tenured SNL cast member in history.

The sequel follows a lot of the same themes as the original, with some exceptions. Ed is now a grown man, and he somehow managed to woo a woman, with whom he shares multiple children (with bizarre names). Most The original Good Burger workers are all gone (RIP Abe Vigoda), and Ed has a new crew. he’s also the one who helps Dex get his job at Good Burger back after his latest attempt at a start-up fails miserably.

Of course, Dex once again puts Good Burger in jeopardy, and the writers have cleverly tied this to the first film in a unique way. This one is so very much for the fans of the original, that if you didn’t grow up on Good Burger, Keenan and Kel, and All That, I’m not sure what you got out of it. It still aims at a family audience, but I doubt today’s kids care. Much like if there was a Wayne’s World 3, we know who that demo was, just like Bill and Ted Face the Music knew who their audience was.

This year, I have been slowly celebrating my turning 40 by going through some of my favorite films of all time, films that I would and have been giving A+ grades to, because they mean more to me as time has progressed. Movies I rewatch over and over. Good Burger is one of those films, even though I didn’t do a new review of it, and I’ve seen it countless times. This sequel delivers a lot on that same premise, even if Kenan feels older and wiser. Kel, however, is still very ready to play.

The audio description by Sri Gordon and Betty Capone works because it captures the madcap absurdist nature of the film, and Kel Mitchell’s general energy he brings to the project. The only thing i wish we could change is pointing out all the cameos. of course I recognized Lori Beth Denberg’s voice, but I’m not sure everyone did. There are a ton of cameos in this, and i feel like I missed some of them. That’s unfortunate.

If I was the kind of critic who couldn’t stand things like this, I’m sure my nose would have been so turned up I never would have even watched it. but, as a fan of the original, even though I admit it is not a cinematic masterpiece, it makes me happy. This sequel is quite close to the original, which is impressive since our leads have aged substantially. I grade based on whether or not I liked it, and it did what it set out to achieve. I liked this, and it did a pretty good job of being a sequel to Good Burger, especially considering we probably never needed one. What we needed, was for kel to join Kenan on SNL. I do have hopes that at least when Kenan retires, Kel will be there. It just won’t feel right without him.

Final Grade: A-