In 2011, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler appeared in "Just Go With It", an effective comedy with plenty of charm. Their reteaming in "Murder Mystery" gave me expectations of similar fun, especially since they are friends who like working together. But this effort feels like it was phoned in, despite the fact that filming sites include Italy and Monaco.

Nick Spitz (Sandler) is a NYC cop who takes his wife, Audrey (Aniston) on a long-promised European "honeymoon", where they meet the charming and apparently wealthy Charles Cavendish (Luke Evans), who invites them to accompany him on a yacht trip to celebrate the marriage of his uncle, billionaire Malcolm Quince (Terence Stamp), to a very young woman named Suzi (Shioli Kutsuna).

They agree, though they are fish out of water hobnobbing with the rich and famous. There is a Maharaja, an American actress, a one-eyed Colonel, a Grand Prix driver, a very large Russian bodyguard, and Malcolm's son. It sounds like the motley assortment of supporting characters that surround most murder mysteries, like "Murder on the Orient Express" or "And Then There Were None". But a mélange of elements does not a mystery (or a molecule) make.

Eventually, there are mysterious deaths. Nick, being a cop, tries to solve the crimes, especially when he and Audrey become prime suspects of the local inspector of the Carbinieri. But the humor never rises above mildly amusing and the intrigue never rises above wildly improbable.

The sequel to "Murder Mystery" is supposed to release in a few days. I am crossing fingers that Aniston and Sandler can rediscover the magic.