WAYNE'S WORLD 2 A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 1999
Spielberg, Mallick and Benigni actually didn't have to bother. The acronym "WW2" won't lose the original meaning to the new generations of moviegoers.
That is one of the conclusions that the critical viewer might draw from WAYNE'S WORLD 2, 1993 film directed by Stephen Surjik, sequel to the popular 1991 comedy. The original was, like some other comedies, based on sketch used in SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE show. Although it didn't reach the cult status of BLUES BROTHERS, that light-hearted comedy, directed by talented Penelope Spheeris, provided enough laughs and entertaining pop culture references that it became pop culture phenomenon itself (some of the words and phrases used by characters of Wayne and Garth entered into peoples' vocabulary). Two years later, when inevitable sequel came, times changed. Spheeris was out of picture, and Myers, besides playing the main character, had conceived the whole concept, had to cope with less talented Surjik.
This parody, like so many that used to be made in Hollywood in those times, has hardly a noticeable plot. The characters are same - Wayne (played by Myers) and Garth (played by Dana Carvey) are two headbangers who live in suburban Chicago and broadcast their show out of basement in Wayne's home (in this film, the studio has moved to abandoned doll factory). While Wayne's girlfriend Cassandra (Tia Carrere) is being wooed by sleazy producer Bobby (Christpher Walken) to go to California, Wayne sees the vision that would convince him to organise Woodstock-like concert in his home town. These storylines serve as a weak fundament to series of gags, referencing popular films, television shows and, in the end credits, even obscure 1970s commercial. Unfortunately for Myers and all the people involved, some of those gags work, and some don't. Same concepts that looked refreshing and entertaining two years earlier, seem boring and repetitive now. Fortunately, film provides few laughs and hour and half spent in front of the screen doesn't look a total waste of time.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
Review written on May 22nd 1999
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax Fido: 2:381/100 E-mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr E-mail: drax@purger.com E-mail: dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr
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