Scary Movie 2 (2001) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com
"I'm not crazy! Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Starring Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Regina Hall, James DeBello, Natasha Lyonne, Andy Richter, James Woods, Chris Elliot. Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans. Rated R.
When I reviewed Scary Movie last year, I said that the only litmus test for a movie like this is whether it's consistently funny, making it exceedingly difficult to review. While that film worked more times than not, its obligatory sequel is far less consistent. Yes, there are laughs in Scary Movie 2, but they're sporadic, with a lot of the jokes being regurgitated from the original.
The movie brings back those characters that weren't offed in its predecessor. Anna Faris returns as Neve Campbell... um, I mean, Cindy Campbell, who has now gone on to college along with her friends Ray Maker and Shorty Meeks (Shawn and Marlon Wayans). While the first movie spoofed Scream and its slasher flick rip-offs, this one bewilderingly sets its sights on The Haunting, of all movies: a relative box-office flop and a bad reviews magnet (though I liked it). Why this alleged pop-culture parody focuses on a movie that disappeared after a couple of weeks in theaters, we may never know.
But the central "plot" doesn't begin until after the opening sequence, a priceless take on The Exorcist. A group of friends, including a priest, is gathered around the piano singing old showtunes when, suddenly, they break out into Mystikal's rap song "Shake Your Ass." Shame when a comedy's first gag is its funniest. But there's still some fun to be had when James Woods shows up as Father McFeely, parodying Max von Sydow's unforgettable Father Merrin.
It's mostly downhill from there. Director Keenan Ivory Wayans is stuck spoofing what doesn't particularly need to be spoofed, and winds up repeating his jokes. Chris Elliot shows up as the creepy caretaker with a mutilated hand and Tim Curry has the dubious privilege of making fun of the Liam Neeson role in The Haunting. Most of the jokes after the first 10 minutes miss their mark, and those that hit are non sequiturs that are funny by accident.
Dimension Films, hungry for a quick and easy cash cow, refused to postpone the release date for Scary Movie 2, forcing Wayans to rush through production. Perhaps that is the reason for the film's sloppy, unprofessional feel. Then again, it's also credited to seven -- count 'em -- screenwriters, and one of the rules of moviemaking is that the number of scribes is inversely proportional to a script's quality.
I'm at a loss for what else to write. See Scary Movie 2 if you have nothing else to do. It's not a complete waste of time, but it doesn't quite work as the laugh-out-loud culture parody it wants to be.
Grade: C
Up Next: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
©2001 Eugene Novikov
===== --Eugene Novikov lordeugene_98@yahoo.com
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." --Carl Sagan
========== X-RAMR-ID: 29015 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 240633 X-RT-TitleID: 1108748 X-RT-SourceID: 610 X-RT-AuthorID: 1577 X-RT-RatingText: C
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