Following the success of the 2018 movie Book Club, the sequel is finally hitting theaters this week. The movie finds the set of friends separated by Covid restrictions and coming together as the pandemic and travel restrictions begin to lift and the world opens up again. Life continued on as the world was shut down, but the women’s connection and friendship stayed strong, even with changes happening for each and every one of them.
When Vivian (Jane Fonda) reveals she’s engaged, the group of women decides they’re going to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy for her bachelorette party. And so ensues the hilarity of four seventy-something women living their best life in Europe, with plenty of mistakes along the way.
Along the way, the movie shows the women put into situations outside of their comfort and making classic mistakes you’d expect travelers to make. Admittedly there are a lot of laughs in the movie. The writers know the audience well and the demographic that will be going to see the film. There are quite a few age-related jokes and ones about replaced hips and knees, but the ridiculous situations will have you laughing more than some of the heavy-handed jokes. Despite the age and the breadth of work of the actors, there seem to be times the acting is a bit rough – but in a movie that is simply a friend comedy of a certain age, this could be overlooked.
Overall, the movie is light and a bit of fluff. You go into the movie knowing exactly what you should expect and if you’re a fan of the actors, you won’t be disappointed at all. It’s not a movie that takes itself too seriously and while the group of friends are staying connected through a book club, other than a montage at the beginning and occasional references – the movie is seemly light on books.
The real draw of the movie seems to be the main actors, and fans of the women will be happy to see them reunited on the screen again. However, the movie does feel like just a bit of an excuse for the group to take a trip to Italy, and the audience gets rewarded with amazing views throughout the whole movie.
Book Club: The Next Chapter will be in theaters everywhere this Friday.
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About Book Club: The Next Chapter
The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.
