Big Picture Big Sound

"Book Club: The Next Chapter" is the sequel to the 2018 comedy "Book Club," which grossed over $100 million worldwide, so it's not shocking that we are now seeing a sequel. It's about as predictable as director and co-writer Bill Holderman titling the film "The Next Chapter" (Holderman co-wrote the screenplay with Erin Simms).

It's easy to dismiss "Book Club: The Next Chapter" as take-your-mom-cinema. It's also easy to give the movie a pass because it's fun to watch screen legends enjoy themselves in the twilight of their careers. Sometimes that enhances a pleasurable movie, and other times it merely makes it palatable. As with "80 For Brady" earlier this year, watching this quartet of icons just makes "Book Club: The Next Chapter" palatable.

The 2018 movie was surprisingly funny, as the four friends worked their way through the "Fifty Shades of Grey" book as part of their club. It set the movie up for a lot of obvious jokes, but the rapport among the leads was well worth the price of admission. As with most sequels, the charm of it all has dulled and the film's energy isn't nearly as infectious as it was five years ago.

Jane Fonda's Vivian announces to the group that she is engaged to Arthur (Don Johnson). Carol (Mary Steenburgen) proposes the idea of the friend group going to Italy because she's desperate for adventure, and what better reason to go than to celebrate Vivian's engagement and call the trip her bachelorette party? Diane (Diane Keaton) and Sharon (Candice Bergen) are a bit more hesitant to share in the spontaneity, but ultimately give in. What wackiness awaits them?

At just one hour and 47 minutes, "Book Club: The Next Chapter" strains to feel fresh because the novelty of these characters has worn off. Like a lot of sequels, they are taken abroad, but the scenery is the only thing that has changed. There are chuckles throughout and the movie is nice, while rarely ever being good. The stars do their best and their chemistry with each other and their partners (Andy Garcia returns as Mitchell, who is dating Diane, and Craig T. Nelson returns as Bruce, Carol's husband) does alot of the film's heavy lifting.

There's no shame in Fonda, Keaton, Steenburgen, and Bergen wanting to have fun. Just like there's no shame in Al Pacino or Robert De Niro cashing in on silly thrillers or roles that require a week of work out of them. Look at the careers these actors have had. When you've given audiences movies like "Klute" and "Annie Hall" or "The Godfather," you've earned your right to have fun. It just doesn't automatically mean you've made a good movie.