Not as scary but twice as funny

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 1999)

Scream 2 was flawed from the beginning. The release of this film so close to it's original was warning enough that this film would not be as good. The movie process can be a quick one but the process of making a GOOD movie is a little longer. With that said though Scream 2 is still pretty darn good.
With the release of Stab, a film depicting the events of Woodsboro, copycat murders soon begin and so does a media invasion on the university that valiant Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is attending. The usual run from the killer scenes are there as is the who dunnit mystery of the original but has varying degrees of success with both. Scream 2 isn't as scary as it's predecesor instead replacing the horror with bitchy banter between Sidney and Gale Weathers (Cox in her returning role) and never ending pop culture references which do get tiresome with no suspence until at least 3/4 of the way through the movie (besides the opening scene).
The cast isn't up to the caliber of the original either with the returning characters simply going through the motions. Neve seems bored, Kennedy's oddly reserved as Randy and David Arquette is back sporting a limp which he concentrates on more than his acting. Cox on the other hand is sensational. She's twice as bitchy and even colder second time round. As for the new recruits. They are as bland as the returning ones with a few exceptions. Pinkett betters Drew Barrymore's infamous opening scene, with her pro black attitude at the premiere of the white dominated film, Stab. Olyphant is also good as the "freaky Tarantino film student" as is Laurie Metcalf as a rival reporter.
This film has high expectations to live up to and while it's a great film in it's own right, as a Scream sequel, it doesn't even rank. Grade - B+