Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent said the film “fails to live up to its predecessor,” adding: “What’s most frustrating about The Next Level is the way it so routinely wastes the talents of its cast.
“In the first film, Karen Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse worked as a clever subversion of the sexy action femme bot. Here, all she does is deliver exposition and perform cartwheels.
“Jack Black is, essentially, asked to do an impression of a black teenager. The results are as awkward (and teetering dangerously close to offensive) as you’d expect.”
This is more of the sentiment around the film, though Radio Times’ Huw Fullerton gave the film four stars, saying: “Now, just two years later they’re back with a sequel, and the central message couldn’t be clearer – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
