Good Burger

Tonight, on Paramount+, I saw the new “Good Burger” movie. However, before talking about that one, I should give my thoughts on the first movie, released in 1997.

Roger Ebert started his review by admitting, “"Good Burger'' was not made for me, and if I say I didn't much enjoy it, that wouldn't be useful information. The movie was made for daytime viewers of Nickelodeon, and it's a spinoff from a character first seen in the cable channel's "All That'' comedy series--Ed, a fast-food worker whose life and dreams are dominated by his love for his work, and whose catchphrase, "Welcome to Good Burger,'' is as well-known to kids as "Where's the beef?'' is at the other end of the age spectrum.” The movie’s stars, Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson, also appear on another Nickelodeon series, “Kenan and Kel.” Good Burger is a small, independent burger stand in the middle of a strange urban landscape (Ebert admitted, “I'm not even sure what state it's supposed to be in--California, probably”). Ed, played by Mitchell, is the cashier, and he’s changed the position behind the register into his area. When he’s late to work, the entire team is stuck. As the movie starts, he gets a new coworker named Dexter (Thompson), who desperately needs to earn money because he was driving without a license and got into an accident with a car that is precious to his teacher, Mr. Wheat (Sinbad).

Dexter was not born to work at the fast-food restaurant, but he and Ed become good friends, and some of Ed’s spirit rubs off. Then disaster happens: A colossal Mondo Burger restaurant has opened right across the street. With its towers and searchlights, it looks like the 20^th Century Fox movie logo, and it’s managed by a dictator named Kurt, played by Jan Schwieterman, who thinks that Good Burger will soon be extinct.

The story is about Ed saving Good Burger by inventing a secret sauce, and Kurt plotting to get his hands on it. Meanwhile, Ed and Dexter become friends with Otis, played by the late Abe Vigoda, who you could say is the world’s oldest fast-food employee, who through a series of disasters must be rescued from the Demented Hills Asylum.

There’s also a nice little romantic side-story, with Monique, played by Shar Jackson, who has a crush on Ed, to no avail, since burgers are everything to him. Among the supporting characters is Spatch, played by Ron Lester, who likes to smash flies on his forehead. Shaq also makes a cameo appearance.

Ebert noted, “Kel Mitchell, as Ed, provides the heart of the movie, creating an asexual, otherworldly character who is protected by his strangeness.” Asked, “How does 10 bucks sound to you?” he wrinkles the bill next to his ear to find out. Asked “You know what would look great on these corn dogs?” he replies, “A turtleneck?” He wears his Good Burger hat all the time, even in the shower, and at one point it makes him look like a nurse. It’s impossible not to like him.

Ebert admitted, “But to understand "Good Burger'' on its intended level, it's necessary, I think, to be between 4 and 11 years old and know about the characters from the cable TV series. The movie is innocent, good-hearted, colorful and energetic, but it doesn't have the kind of sophistication that allowed the Pee-wee Herman movies and TV series to break out of their primary kiddie audiences and appeal to adult viewers.”

Ebert ended his review by saying, “It's a kid movie, plain and simple. It didn't do much for me, but I am prepared to predict that its target audience will have a good time. I'm giving it two stars. If I were 8, I might give it more.”

I saw this movie in seventh grade when we were discussing different genres. For comedy, this is one that we observed. At the time, I didn’t know it was based on a sketch from a show because I didn’t grow up with cable television. I was familiar with Kenan and Kel because I saw the beginning of a couple of episodes when they were on stage before going to the episode. When I saw the first Good Burger, we were all laughing at it in class, but looking back, it’s not good.

What can be said about the sequel, which came out last month on Paramount+? The first movie wasn’t a hit, but it did make a little money during its short theatrical run, eventually gaining a loyal fan base appreciation. Brian Orndorf noted in his review, “A feature-length version of a Nickelodeon “All That” sketch, the picture wasn’t a towering achievement in the art of filmmaking, but it was goofy and mostly fun, with the screenplay managing to expand on the world of television, also serving as a vehicle for stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, with the latter showing great comedic chops as a lovable half-wit.” 26 years later, there’s “Good Burger 2,” which reunites Thompson and Mitchell for a new film about fast food troubles, and the area of strangeness mostly remains in the sequel. Orndorf said, “The endeavor doesn’t stray far from the highlights of the previous effort, presenting likable dumb guy entertainment with minimal stakes, and Mitchell once again becomes a good reason to sit through the occasional dud bits the writing creates.”

As the founder of Dextreme Industries, Dexter is ready to make a fortune with his “Burn No More” fire-retardant spray. When his house burns down during a demonstration, Dexter is now broke, but still determined to make a successful invention. He goes to his old friend, Ed, the owner of Good Burger, who he hasn’t seen in about six years. Catching up with his friend, learning about his large family (Ego Nwodim, Honor Monroe Mitchell, Wisdom Mitchell, Alexis Turner, Jackson Murray, Judah Howery, Elianna and Gianna Antwi-Kessie), including son Ed 2 (Alex R. Hibbert), Dexter gets his old job back at the restaurant, returning to the strange ways of customer service and Ed. Dexter is also interested in asking Ed for money to get his business back up and running, but complications start when the owner of Mega Corp, Katt, played by Jillian Bell, arrives and demands to buy Good Burger, using deceitful ways to force him into a bad deal.

Ed and Dexter go their directions in “Good Burger 2,” with Ed remaining with the restaurant since he was a teenager, managing to buy the company, giving him job security while a teenager named Jensen, played by Fabrizio Guido, is the manager. Dexter has tried to do something with his inventions, only to watch his plans fail when his inventions go wrong. Orndorf noted, “There’s not a lot of heavy lifting employed to reunite the characters, but a six-year-long estrangement is a little bizarre, and one of the great unspoken realities of the “Good Burger” universe is Dexter’s inability to be a decent friend, sustaining his run as a selfish character. The screenplay skates by any deeper assessment of companionship to charge full speed ahead as a comedy, quickly putting Dexter back at Good Burger, while Ed’s never left, managing to raise a family over the years, with Ed 2 following in his father’s footsteps.”

“Good Burger 2” introduces everyone to a new staff at the restaurant, which includes senior citizen Ruth (Anabel Graetz), twins Cindy and Mindy (Emily and Elizabeth Hinkler), Dexter’s niece Mia (Kamaia Fairburn), and Fizz (Josh Server) who is found in a second freezer after years of being in the cold. Daily life at Good Burger isn’t shown all that much, but antics from Ed and his conversations with customers are included, giving the film a chance to include some celebrity cameos (Mark Cuban, Yung Gravy, Nicole Richie, Zoe Saldaña, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Bowen Yang, DMC, Shar Jackson, Saun White, Mikey Day, Danny Tamberelli, George Clinton, Al Roker, and Chrissy Teigen), and a few old faces from the first movie return (Carmen Electra). “Good Burger 2” isn’t pushing too hard on dramatic stability, but the plot comes when Katt arrives, the sibling of the previous villain Kurt, and she’s trying to start a fast-food revolution with Mega Good Burger, which has made the food orders quicker, while robotic Eds work the cashier. Orndorf said, “It’s another small business vs. corporate interests story, but the “Ed-imatronic” aspect is a fun idea, and there’s some scheming involved with lawyer Cecil (Lil Rel Howery), who’s urging Dexter to make Ed sell Good Burger for kickback money.”

Orndorf continued, “High jinks are common in “Good Burger 2,” watching Dexter and Ed deal with a self-driving car, infiltrate a concert during a food delivery, and work to thwart Mega Good Burger’s grand opening. A few old jokes are reheated for the sequel, and one never needs fart humor, but the picture does a commendable job finding the same spirit of “Good Burger,” reviving the old Nickelodeon ways with now-fortysomething performers. Thompson has improved as an actor, doing his straight man duty with ease, and Mitchell brings a golden screwball presence to the endeavor, stepping right back into Ed’s blissful ignorance, and it’s highly amusing to watch. “Good Burger 2” certainly isn’t a riveting feature, but fans of the 1997 effort should be pleased with this revival, which finds its groove quickly and wisely puts Mitchell and Thompson back in charge of silliness.”

This sequel is fine for what it is. I don’t think I will be seeing this again, but it made me laugh at certain moments. I don’t think it would hurt to see this movie on Paramount+, so you can see it if you like. The only reason why they brought this back was because Jimmy Fallon did a Good Burger sketch on The Tonight Show. Phill Traill said there were plants for other sequels and there are plans for various things and crazier situations. I don’t think it’s needed, but we’ll see.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned tomorrow for the continuation of “Disney Month 2023.”