Rating: 3.5/3 Stars, 3 Stars, 3 Stars

The original Red Notice (2021) was a slick, star-powered heist film that became one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Red Notice 2 brings back the trio—Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot—for another globe-trotting adventure, and while the magic is slightly diminished, it’s still a fun ride.

The film picks up after the first. FBI profiler John Hartley (Johnson), art thief Nolan Booth (Reynolds), and master criminal “The Bishop” (Gadot) are forced to team up again when a mysterious figure steals a priceless artifact from under their noses. The chase takes them from Tokyo to Rio to Cairo, with twists, double-crosses, and Reynolds’ endless one-liners.

The chemistry between the three leads remains the highlight. Johnson is the straight man, Reynolds is the comic relief, and Gadot is the wild card. The heist sequences are clever, the locations are gorgeous, and the film moves at a breakneck pace. However, the plot is convoluted, and the film tries too hard to recapture the magic of the original.

The Verdict: A fun, if unnecessary, sequel. The stars are still stars, but the shine is a little duller.

Final Thought: Three stars walk into a heist. One writes the one-liners. One does the punching. One steals the show.