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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.