While Scream (1996) was a funny, scary deconstruction of the slasher genre, its follow-up is just another horror sequel. The opening movie-theater sequence is even well-worn, being almost a shot-for-shot reconstruction of the beginning of He Knows You're Alone (1981), complete with a spooky trip to the restroom. The rest of the film follows tradition slavishly, and although the young cast is appealing and there are some nice individual moments, this film matches its predecessor neither in scares nor entertainment. Younger viewers -- who may not recognize every plot twist instantly -- should get a kick out of it anyway, but dedicated genre fans will be able to play connect-the-dots with the familiar storyline.
The hip, darkly comical sequel to self-aware "SCREAM." Sidney Prescott, now in college, once again finds herself the target of a bloodthirsty, cloak-clad, mask-wearing, knife-wielding, psychotic killer whose penchant for pop movie trivia runs deep. This time, however, the body count is higher and the deaths more outrageous--traits of a true sequel, as noted by one unfortunate victim. Not as pithy as the first film, but still a satisfying, definite true-to-form teen slasher.
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Scream 2
