Scream 2 (1997)

Scream 2
 

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

(Didn't Like It)

Netflix Synopsis: In the two years since the fateful events in Woodsboro, Gale has written a best-seller, which has been turned into a film. As the movie premiere looms closer, the mysterious deaths begin again. Dewey heads to Sidney's college to protect her.

The Peeps: Wes Craven (director); Kevin Williamson (writer); Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette

Quick Run Down: Slow, Uneven, Not Very Good

Worth The Watch?: Skip It

After the murderous events in Woodsboro, Sidney Prescott has moved onto college and it looks like Ghost Face has followed her.  As the phone bill and the body count grows, Sidney is forced to live through the nightmare that started it all... all over again!

Scream 2 is a classic sequel.  It's not very good, it's over the top and inaffective, and it just doesn't feel right.  You know, like when your wife buys the off brand bread and your PB&J's fall apart and taste grainy.  It's practically the same thing but it's just not as good.  That's where Scream 2 stands in the franchise.  The same cast is back, the concept is there, and the ultimate unwinding makes sense (would even be predictable if there were enough things in the film to suggest it).  Still, the film isn't good.  The plot is basic, which means that there needs to be some serious new stuff or at least interesting stuff going on, but none of that happens.  Instead, you have what feels like an ameaturish effort to capitalize on what was a very original and fresh idea in '96.  The scares are mostly mute, Randy's the only person that really gives any good, moving dialogue, and Jerry O'Connell gives the best performance, probably because he doesn't feel like a character wrapped up in their own little depressed-by-the-Woodsboro-Murders world.  (He does a singing on a cafeteria table bit that is a lot of fun and maybe the highlight of the movie, for me at least.)  The pieces of the film that ARE scary are usually over the top.  A particular crash scene that leads to a direct confrontation with Ghost Face comes to mind, and, while it inspires hair raises, the basic concept just doesn't work.  It's TOO 'suspension of disbelief' or maybe I'm looking too much into it, but what could have been a good scare turned out mediocre and lackluster.  I will acknowledge one bit of the film that involves a stage play rehearsal that's works well, and the way it is handled suggests to me that Craven is good behind the camera but only when he has the goods on the page.  Otherwise, he's moving a camera around a set.  I've never thought he was that great of a director, but when he gets it, he gets it.  And I see now that that magic happens when a good script is given to him. 

So, long story short, skip this installment of Scream.  It has some interesting parts, but nothing that really does anything worth a damn.  Just a warning though, the beloved Randy does not make it into the 3rd film.  If you want to know why, check out Scream 2 (namely, the 1:00:00  mark).  It's on Netflix!




I might just be being morbid, but that's hot...