Title: Scream 2
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Release Date: 12 December, 1997
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy
Cliff’s Notes: As a movie based on the events of Scream is being released, a new Ghostface begins to create a sequel. College students in their thirties don’t make it.
Lecture: Scream 2 picks up just about where we left off. Sid and Randy have gone to college, Gale has made it big as a reporter/writer, and Dewey is on the road to recovering from his wounds. Into this storms a new Ghostface, creating a copycat style massacre. Along with a few new faces, including a newly released Cotton Weary, Sid jumps back into the fray.
The joy of Scream 2, and there’s plenty to be joyful about, comes from the face that it seems to be effortless in its continuation of the story. Too often, sequels seem to be desperate to connect to the original, so the story suffers, events seem contrived, and the effect is lessened. Here, the events of the first film inform every moment of the second, making it seem more like a second episode as opposed to a second season. It’s a logical continuation of the first story, filling in more of the cracks and crafting more twists and turns. Here, everyone is back and ready to party. Randy is just as enduring, Dewey just as hapless, and Sidney’s not quite ready to give it up yet. What’s more, Scream 2 seems to hone in on the new location- I love the chase through the sound stage and the theater location- and new possibilities – Cotton might have to be the good guy. WHAT?-. Everything is well-oiled and, in true Scream fashion, bucks tradition as often as possible.
The only real drawback is the finale. Not only does it seem rushed, it makes up about 15 minutes of a two hour flick, the villain(s) seem lack luster and under developed. Part of the awesomeness of Scream was that the killers could have been anyone. The whodunit aspect was in full, awesome swing. Here, the villain(s) come out of left field. It’s not that the performances are weak – though I’m left wondering if we could have toned down a few moments to build scares- it just seems a little too far out of reach. Alas.
Acting: Arquette, Campbell, Cox, and Kennedy are back with aplomb. The new cast is solid, with Timothy Olyphant and Liev Schreiber adding some greatness to the cast. Schreiber, specifically, gives a ton to his role of the wrongly convicted felon trying to get back out into the world.
Directing: Again, Craven is top notch. Fun angles, groovy uses of set pieces, and some fun intensity tricks make this puppy shine. Furthermore, Craven still builds tension like a boss. He also finds a way to make very common situations – movie theater, frat part – swing into full slasher mode in a matter of moments.
Script: The first 85% of Williamson’s second go around is great and chock full of references to all kinds of sequels and college-set slashers. Unfortunately, the last bit can’t maintain the focus of the opening, so the ending seems a little flat.
Effects: While Scream 2 threatens to jack up the gore, it’s really more of the same old slashing/gunshots/splatter that we know and love. There is a pole through a head, so that’s cool.
Highlights: I really dig the film-in-a-film Stab bits, from the slasher-standard shower attack to the Tori-Spelling-as-Sid bits. It’s fun and a great throwback to the original.
Lowlights: Yeah… the ending… Also, some of the music choices seem like a stretch. A character just died. Cool, bring on the pop rock. Grrr.
Final Thoughts: Scream 2 is a solid sequel to the original. While its finale is a little off, the majority of the flick is spot on.
Grade: B