I liked Good Burger 2, but it also feels like it was made for me and, maybe like, ten other people.  Good Burger 2 is the sequel to its 1997 predecessor, which began as a recurring sketch on Nickelodeon’s variety show All That.  Milking nostalgia is a current trend, but when does it become too much of an inside joke?

The specific material may alienate the audience but, then again, Good Burger 2 has specifically been made for people who identified with 90s-era Nickelodeon.  The bright colour palette and the overall zany concepts involving fast food may appeal to contemporary kids but, once the movie starts offloading its nutty, pun-heavy comedy, Good Burger 2 eventually shows its cards.

The movie reunites Kel Mitchell with Saturday Night Live regular Kenan Thompson as they reprise their roles as Good Burger restaurant employees: Mitchell as the clever albeit dimwitted Ed and Thompson as Dexter, the bumbling brains behind wholesome schemes.  The characters have always been written with a nice balance of wit and slapstick, and the roles are fulfilled well by both actors;  an impressive accomplishment considering the gaps between revisiting these roles (Mitchell has played Ed before on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon).  Thompson, in particular, steps outside his usual typecast presence and cadence, making his return as Dexter his best comedic performance to date.

The plot is where the movie gets a little lost in the weeds, dropping Ed and Dexter into another underdog mission where they face corporate moguls who intend to lock down the fast food industry.  For as nutty as the humour is in Good Burger 2, the plot is played fairly straight.  Considering how the movie is clearly speaking to an older crowd who are hip to sequels, it’s surprising that the nuts and bolts of this story are not more tongue in cheek.  With Jillian Bell portraying one of the villains, the audience anticipates an ironic trajectory in the same vein as 22 Jump Street.  However, just as the film’s stars exhibit, returning screenwriters Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert (who are still resident Nickelodeon contributors and, this time, writing without Dan Schneider) effortlessly tap into a niche wryness that reminds viewers of how funny a well-built pun or sight gag can be. 

The nostalgic easter eggs work as well, even if they are simply fan service.  From the brief cameo by former All That performer/Good Burger dweeb Josh Server to a “We Are The World”-esque charity video where the main guests are funk legend George Clinton (who turned up in Good Burger) and Danny Tamberelli (of Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete).  Movie, your eleven favourite viewers thank you for your service.

Good Burger 2 is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie