Review of Scary Movie 2

Introduction

No mercy. No shame. No sequel.

Yeah right. Due to the usual syndrome of bloating the Hollywood cash cow, Miramax wanted a sequel to their surprise 2000 hit, and Shawn and Marlon Wayans were again hired to write it (as well as numerous other writers), and Keenan Ivory Wayans returns to direct.

The original Scary Movie was just that, original. It worked, although it did overdose on certain elements. So, before I saw the second instalment I wasn`t expecting much. A re-hash of the same jokes, and nothing more.

First things first, the `plot` (as if either movie has a real plot) is that a Professor (played by Tim Curry) is taking his class to a house for a weekend to do some `tests`. Not giving anything away, but at the end of the last movie, a certain character died, and has magically re-appeared (due to the law of sequels). Anyway, getting back to the story, this re-appeared character, plus three characters from the original movie (Cindy, Shorty and Brenda) go to the house along with some new characters.

From then on in, Scary Movie 2 rips off the supernatural, and recent blockbusters (Charlie`s Angels, Mission Impossible 2 et cetera), with thankfully, some fresh jokes. And of course gross-out comedy makes another appearance. `Less clothes` indeed...

Video

It is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, with no compression signs visible. The visuals are deep, and the print is always crisp and clear. Another good Buena Vista transfer.

Like the first, Scary Movie 2 does have some visual humour, whether it`s Shorty getting rolled up into a joint or a blatant Hollow Man stroke Mission Impossible 2 parody scene.

Audio

A DD 5.1 track is on offer, with good use of the surrounds. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the subwoofer gets a good workout in certain places.

The script, whilst enjoyable, just doesn`t compare unfortunately to the original. The laughs are slightly forced, the situations are similar...all in all it is a lazy bit of writing to be honest.

Features

There is a wealth of extra material on offer:

Behind the Scenes Featurette - a 7 minute insight, containing a few soundbites with the Wayans brothers and the usual back-slapping that now plays such a part in DVD featurettes. Brief, but still watchable.

Deleted/Extended Scenes - 19 (count `em!) deleted or extended scenes, which, although they don`t add much, do contain a couple of rib-tickling moments. The best one in my opinion is the disabled Dwight using his scooter after he gets out of his car. There are also 3 alternate endings, 2 of which are similar to the one used in the final cut, but one of them is more original (and the better for it) - it is a good parody of the Pearl Harbor money shot...meaning the bit where the camera follows a missile as it descends from a bomber. Overall, this section contains a lot of depth, which is good to see.

Here Kitty, Kitty - a very short featurette explaining how they controlled the cat (it was a stuffed prop) in certain scenes.

Special Effects Tour - another featurette that does what it says on the tin.

Behind the Makeup - same as above, but focusing on how they did the makeup in the movie. Highlights include how they did the Hollow Man green screen parody and how they used the tongue in The Exorcist parody.

Stills Gallery - over 50 stills from the movie.

Overall, a good selection, better than the array of extras on the original disc.

Conclusion

Although the script may lack, there are still moments that will make you chuckle, but it just isn`t enough. Disc wise, everything is good, especially the in-depth extras (a commentary would have made them perfect), so this isn`t a bad rental choice.

The time for Scary Movie has now passed, as, after two movies, a third would really be putting pressure on the cow.