Review of Scream 2 (1997) by Moviemastereddy — 05 Apr 2016

Scream 2 isn't quite as clever as its predecessor, but it fills the gap with a cutting wit. Death -- even gruesome, bloody death -- can be funny if handled the right way (some will be offended by this statement, but you need look no further than Pulp Fiction for an example). And, while there's plenty of horror to go around in Scream 2, the latest '90s slasher flick incarnation, there are also a few laughs to be had. Scream 2 is a slice-and-dice movie for those who don't take their horror too seriously.

As stipulated by one of the "rules of sequels" uttered by a movie-obsessed character in the film, the body count in Scream 2 is higher than that in the original. Paradoxically, there's a lot less gore. There is blood, of course, but nothing excessive by slasher-movie standards, and there are no depictions of spilled entrails. Craven has remembered that scares are more important that graphic displays of human insides and bodily fluids. A second strength of Scream 2 is that it features a gallery of legitimate characters rather than a group of cardboard cut-out stereotypes lined up for slaughter. After all, we've known some of these people for two movies -- it's almost impossible not to care about them at least a little.

From the Stab scenes to lines like "Brothers don't last long in situations like this," Craven and Williamson are clearly having a lot of fun with Scream 2, and the movie is enjoyable, if a little overlong (the livelier first hour is better than the second). Their resolution to the obligatory "whodunit?" is less of a letdown than it could be, and knowingly offers a wink and nod at past unmasking scenes. ("Nice twist," quips the killer. "Didn't see it coming, didya?") One senses, however, that, by the end of this picture, the overall concept of a hip, self-referential slasher film has been played out. Supposedly, there's going to be a Scream 3, but, if the film makers don't come up with something radical, we could end up with a classic case of sequel overkill.