The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2014)

If you did not like the first movie, you should definitely skip this one.  If you loved the first movie, brace yourself, because the second one is no where near as good.  Which is disappointing at best, because all the great cast members, with the exception of Tom Wilkinson, are back, and the ever competent Richard Gere has been added. 


Here is the problem.  The thing that made the first movie charming is already a given in this movie, and the narrative fails to move forward at a reasonable pace.  The hesitancy of Judi Dench and Bill Nighy's characters to even talk to each other about their relationship just seems juvenile at best and contrived at worst.  It is possible that these seasoned stars thought it would be fun to return to these characters in this setting once more. But the result feels strained and slapped together, crammed as it is with silly mistaken identities and misunderstandings, adolescent jealousies and slapstick jokes. It is occasionally charming but not often enough for the movie to be enjoyable.  And I watched it on a transatlantic flight, when I am at my most forgiving.