Scary Movie 2

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Still funny, less clever: Scary Movie 2
by Christian De Matteo

Solid

The success of Scary Movie lay in the careful scene-by-scene spoofing of its target, the Scream series.  Paralleling/parodying the films right down each lapse in plot logic, Scary Movie was a merciless critical eye on the teen smash with the added benefit of Wayans’ brother raunchiness.

Exactly that level of clever jabbing, that thought and development of comedy plot, is what damns Scary Movie to almost across the board “not as good as the first” criticisms.  Random raunchiness rules this sequel, not for the purpose of satirizing a target this time so much as to shoot for the most over the top gross out laughs possible.

And they are funny.  I recommend this film to gross-out humor fans with no hesitancy, but be forewarned, that is all you will get.  With the extremely notable exception of the opening sequence (an Exorcist parody worth the entire ridiculous price of movie admission featuring the great James Woods), the film could be more aptly titled The Wayans’ Brothers take Hollywood (and Nike).  Spoofing only three actual horror films, they opt for the Leslie Nielson route of spoofing all the biggest recent movies, regardless of genre, and moving from one episode to the next, barely if at all connected by “plot” and often inexplicable.

Again, this is all still enjoyable if watching urination, defecation, homosexual, sex and seamen-related humor makes you laugh (yes, guilty as charged), but be prepared for what is more like an hour and a half of cable comedy skits then an actual film.  The movie is filled with great comedic talent—including a wonderfully terrible dinner scene with Chris Elliot (There’s Something about Mary)—and the presence a good young cast like Chris Masterson of TV’s “Malcolm in the Middle”, but the film exists more to showcase individual comedy ideas than to tell a story.  The Wayans’ also make the error of relying to heavily on box-office bombs for their backbone (Hollow Man, The Haunting) that the audience hasn’t seen and oftentimes doesn’t get.

Overall, this obviously rushed sequel is worthwhile for laughs but don’t expect to be impressed by its satirical cleverness.  No, the idea behind this movie is more like “let’s take famous movie scenes and baste them in bodily eruptions.”

And, yes, I do think that’s funny.

Scary Movie 2
by Mark Capitelli

Solid

This tribute to how quickly the pursuit of summertime movie money can make anything mediocre was also a tribute to how a raunchy James Woods can make even the most disgruntled moviegoer forget his grudge.

Scary Movie 2 is a perfect mix of hilarity and disappointment.  Hilarious because it is one gag after another in a rapid cycle that keeps you laughing steadily.  Disappointing, because it is too short for $10, many of the jokes are old and tired, and it feels like it was thrown together at the last minute.  Triumphant comedy like the unrelated Exorcist spoof in the beginning is counterbalanced by tragic mistakes like the Charlie’s Angels fight scene spoof, which did little more than give your lungs a rest after laughing at Shawn Wayans turns the tables on the evil clown puppet from Poltergeist.

In the end, I have to say that it was enjoyable and I’m glad I saw it.  It is, however, a far cry from the kind of comedy I was expecting.  Also, it proved my prejudice against previews true: it gives too much away in the commercials.

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