Critic-proof sequel (spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 2004)

"Scream" (1996) was such a massive success that within a year, this sequel was made. Given the clever, subversive nature of the first film, this sequel is almost critic-proof. If anyone says this film is worse than the original, that would be countered by the idea that this is the point. While not having the original's depth, this follow-up is equal to it's predecessor in term of shocks, suspense and cheeky humour.
The action has moved from Woodsboro to Windsor College. The events of the original have been turned into a film, "Stab", and it is at a preview of this film that we meet two black Windsor students (Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett) who bemoan the lack of African Americans in horror films. Within the noisy atmosphere of the cinema showing, the pair are abruptly cut to shreds. Pretty soon the bodies pile up and Sidney (Neve Campbell) and other Woodsboro survivors find themselves hunted by a copycat killer...
The film's status as a sequel precipitates an early classroom debate on that very same subject. The only sequel unanimously agreed to being better than it's original is "The Godfather Part II". All others, by their very nature. can only be considered inferior. Later Randy (Jamie Kennedy) engages Dewey (David Arquette) in a short discussion on the rules of the horror movie sequel, where they also debate possible suspects.
In the line-up this time round are Cotton Weary (Liev Schrieber), a former murder suspect exonerated by the revelations of the last film. Reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), on the hunt for the prize-winning scoop, Sidney's boyfriend Derek (Jerry O'Connell) film student Mickey (Timothy Olyphant) and Gale's fan Debbie Salt (Laurie Metcalf) are all under suspicion. The script by Kevin Williamson (who penned "Scream") keeps things tight and plausible without convoluting his logic. The killers, when revealed, are interesting surprises. The main killer is a clever nod to the "Friday the 13th" films, while the sidekick turns the point of "Scream" completely on its head and offers to blame the movies for his actions.
Cox and Arquette's onscreen courtship has lost none of its chemistry and Neve Campbell gives the film a strong central core as Sidney. Jerry O'Connell gets a great singing scene as her ill-fated boyfriend, and Jamie Kennedy is once again superb as loveable geek Randy. Metcalf, Schrieber and Olyphant are on fine form, and British actor David Warner has a good cameo as Sidney's drama teacher. "Buffy" star Sarah Michelle Gellar, playing a student, adds to the irony of the piece by running away from the killer instead of taking the fight to him.
Wes Craven ratchets up the tension in style, milking the most out of the plot twists. The film (well scored once more by Marco Beltrami) is shot well around the ancient, red-bricked college campus that provides a creepy setting for the carnage.
"Scream 2" is a superb sequel, and was followed by the comparatively average "Scream 3".