Review of Scream 2 (1997) by Berc — 02 Jul 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "Scream 2":

Right off the bat, let me say that the two best things about this sequel are Neve Campbell and Jamie Kennedy. They bring the same energy and same characterizations to this second installment that they brought to the first. It seems like they slipped effortlessly back into their roles whereas Courteney Cox and David Arquette struggled here and there. The death of Kennedy's character Randy was one of the best sequences of the movie and was a necessary evil as the ante always needs to be upped in sequels. Personally, I just think it's a shame Dewey didn't die while they were at it. Liev Schreiber was also a wonderful supporting actor who fits the film well. If they could have only found a few more people like him who didn't automatically turn into overacting hyenas, we would have been all set. While we're at it, Peter Deming's magnificent cinematography should be noted as one of the highlights of this production. Visual framing this good really deserves a better movie to accompany its presence.

What I Personally Disliked About "Scream 2":

For the most part, this sequel takes itself more seriously than its predecessor did and this hampers the enjoyment tremendously. Where the first film lampooned the horror genre, this second chapter feels like it's striving to fit in with the very flicks the initial production thumbed its nose at. In addition, it succumbs to the pitfall that plagues most scary movie sequels: it feels like we've seen it all before. It has nothing new to bring to the table. A good example of this is the boyfriend issue. For those of you (like myself) who thought Skeet Ulrich was the height of conventionality, I give you Jerry O'Connell. Yikes. He just had to sing, too, didn't he? Oh, the horror! I'm also not a big fan of Courteney's hair. Seriously. Who in their right mind thought THAT looked good? Double yikes. The inclusion of the painfully unfunny sorority girl stereotypes was also an abysmal decision which, of course, would make triple yikes. I thought watching Arquette in the first film was like being slammed against a brick wall but these girls take the cake. At least David had the good sense to ever so slightly tone down his buffoonish antics. Let's be completely honest with each other as well, shall we? The twist ending in this picture is a little lame and quite a bit forced when compared next to the innovation of the original.

My Overall Impression of "Scream 2":

At two hours in length, this film is about forty minutes too long. A lot of sequences (particularly the atrocious last third of the movie) seem to drag out endlessly and the viewer is left to wonder what happened to Wes Craven's normally tight directing skills. There are some briefly enjoyable moments scattered about, but this sequel feels more tired than inspired.