When it was released in 1996, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson's Scream was met with box office success and a ton of critical acclaim. It sparked a renaissance of the slasher movie style during the second half of the '90s, simultaneously birthing a number of self-aware horror movies that were all released in its wake. So of course Scream just had to have a sequel. And true to the '80s slasher movies it was slyly lampooning, Scream 2 was released one year to the month after its predecessor. And, well, it's okay. Not great, not awful, just... okay. Let's check it out and see why that is.
It's been two years since the events of the first movie, and in that time, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) wrote a bestselling book about the murders. The book was actually so successful that as Scream 2 begins, we learn that it has been adapted into a slasher movie called "Stab."
But while Gale is a sudden celebrity, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is merely trying to live a trouble-free life. She's a college student, has a new circle of friends, and has a boyfriend (Jerry O'Connell) who's head over heels in love with her.
Sidney's fortunes soon take a downward turn, however, as someone else has assumed the "Ghostface" gimmick. Two people are killed at a sneak preview of Stab, and more bodies start piling up around the college, all of them with names similar to the victims in Woodsboro. Sidney realizes that not only is the killer copycatting Woodsboro's killer, but that he's ultimately coming for her and her friends.
I honestly can't say that I thought Scream 2 was a wholly bad movie. But my problem with it is that it felt like it was just more of the same. That can work in favor of some sequels, but it didn't for Scream 2. It just made me feel like I could have been watching the first movie instead. That's a ream shame, too. Scream 2 could have been a lot better, but it simply is what it is.
But that's not to say that it's all bad. For example, Wes Craven contributes some fine direction. There are some moments that feel very plain, but Craven's work is really good for the most part. He manages to craft a few very tense scenes, particularly Sarah Michelle Gellar's big scene and the bit where Sidney things Ghostface may be hiding among the masked actors on stage as she practices for a play she's in. These two moments are very effective, and though there aren't many scenes like them during the movie, they're evidence that even in mediocre movies Craven can still show a little brilliance.
However, Kevin Williamson's script isn't as good. It doesn't have the same intelligence as the first movie; I instead got the impression that Williamson was focused more on creating red herrings and potential suspects among the characters. There's no story and precious little character development, and the whole thing just feels lazy. But I'm more than willing to bet that it's probably due to all the rewrites Williamson had to put the script through while the movie was shooting. The final script he'd handed in before production started ended up being leaked onto the Internet and spoiled the whole thing, thus necessitating changes to make the movie what it is today. This really hurt the movie, since the script they had to use feels rushed, of inferior quality, and just dumb.
And the acting is something of a mixed bag as well. Some of it's good, some of it's disappointing. Among the good is Neve Campbell, who I thought was very sweet and very likable. Campbell's one of the strongest parts of the whole Scream saga, and her performance saves Scream 2 from being just another lame horror sequel.
The same can be said of Jerry O'Connell and Timothy Olyphant, who are a lot of fun here. They're funny, charming, and practically steal every scene they're in. Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Jamie Kennedy are also amusing, playing their roles exactly as well as they did in the first movie.
But there are some bad performances, mainly in the form of Laurie Metcalf and Elise Neal. Neal is unimpressive, stuck playing the stereotypical "sassy black girl" role. They really could have just cast anyone to play the part, and I guess it was Neal that got the job. Metcalf, on the other hand, is more annoying than anything else. But considering I found her equally irritating on Roseanne, I can't say I'm shocked.
I know that most sequels don't live up to their predecessors, but Scream 2 was especially disappointing. With better writing and a less-rushed production schedule, it could have been a more worthy follow-up to a great original. It's unfortunate that it turned out that way because I really wanted to like Scream 2. Instead, I'm sort of ambivalent to it. And I can't give it anything other than two and a half stars. And I actually want to see that Stab movie. I mean, Robert Rodriguez directing what's essentially a remake of Scream with Tori Spelling, Luke Wilson, and Heather Graham replacing Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore? Sounds like it could be fun.
Final Rating: **½
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