Written, directed, and produced by Tab Edwards, ‘The Kingfish 2’ is a 2024 feature that stars Xavier Edwards as X, Britt Starghill as Flip and Taylor Myrick as Bobby. It is a feature length sequel to The Kingfish TV pilot.
The Kingfish TV pilot charted the adventures of X, Flip and Bobby as they headed to North Philly to take possession of a mysterious package. However, in their journey, they ran into suspicious characters who also have an eye on this package. Chases, romance and shenanigans ensued as the trio tried to outsmart every challenge that came their way. In Kingfish 2, the trio returns only to follow another secretive box and once again, they cross paths with the Kingfish during this journey. In this quest, they need to balance love and responsibilities as well.
This is a pretty laid-back film but even in the absence of serious character beats, the acting is pretty great. The three protagonists feel better than when we last saw them; this is a testament to how the actors have developed their characters due to the time difference between then and now. X, Flip and Bobby have all grown up and they have the same issues that all teenagers their age have. The supporting cast is fantastic as well. Everyone gets a chance to shine and the script manages to do all of them justice.
In addition, Ronald Shaer returns as the Kingfish and Omar Long returns as Big Homie. The villainous turns by these actors gives the protagonists a formidable challenge and just like the first outing, the trio will struggle to survive against the villains only to outsmart them at the end. The film also includes the acting debut of India Alston (as CJ) who is the daughter of entertainment industry giant Charlie Mack and I was pleasantly surprised by Alston’s debut as well.
From a technical aspect, The Kingfish 2 manages to soar way above its predecessor. Visually, the film is a massive step up from its original short and the cinematography is both vibrant and complex. Using closeups, wide angles and a whole other variety of shots, the makers behind the project make the production look as professional as possible. Since the majority of the scenes are shot outside, the lighting looks perfect as well. The fade ins and fade outs could use a little bit more work but all in all, the film excels in the visual department.
In the sound department, the film is equally as impressive. The background music keeps the narrative flowing smoothly and the song choices are equally as peppy and upbeat. For a 70 minute feature, the pacing and narrative momentum are on point. Tab Edwards does a good job of reintroducing the three misfits and immediately plunges them into shenanigans, using wit and charisma to win over the audiences. Each cast member has his or her own personality and inclinations and it is this synergy of different dynamics that works well in the context provided.
Thus, The Kingfish 2 manages to impress in more ways than one. It expertly builds upon its origin prequel whilst allowing the characters to develop and mature. It takes the story in unexpected directions and has competent directing and acting culminating in a production that does its subject matter justice. Tab Edwards has come a long way from the TV pilot she made some years ago and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
