A Classic's sequel

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2000)

Well this in a way is a typical sequel and in a way it is not. You have all the original cast here which is I must say a must in a sequel. You really shouldn't do that kind of stuff they did in for instance Chucky or so, keep the cast if the names are the same, all else is bull and most of the audience won't like it. Also don't change a good formula!!!! (this goes out to them suckers who want to make Scream 4 without the original cast (or even dare to think about it)). If you want to do it do it with them or NOT and if you do, please Neve, Courteney, David and Wes only when the script is great, no ONLY when it RULES and do not do it for money when your career is in a dip like van Damme did with Universal Sodier 2. I mean look at lousy horror sequels: Hellraiser 2 and 4, Chucky 3, Nightmare on Elm Street 5 and A new Nightmare (sorry Wes).
This is I must admit not the second time I watched this one, for I was preparing to see Scream 3 really soon afterwards, so I wanted to see Scream 1 and Scream 2 before, so I could get back in to everything that happened. I already knew, of course, who the killer was and this review (as to the whodunnit) looks at the film as if I first saw it.
Another good thing here is that all the cast looks grown up, I mean between Scream and Scream 2 there is only one year, but you feel as if many years have gone by (just as the story suggests). This is especially extreme with Neve Campbell, who in Scream looked like 15 or 16 and here looks like 19 or so. I must also say, that the new looks of Campbell and Courteney Cox are much better (they look good, with those clothes and different hair, yummy!!!!). There are yet some other pretty ladies running about, what about that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sid's on screen friend played by Elise Neil. Of course you can see also Portia DeRossi also, who is if I may say is pretty too (normally), but here is just a non - ugly (along with all her sorority sisters) female. I must say though she plays one genuine bleached blonde bim.. (you fill out the rest) here. Also there was of course the shagadelic Heather Graham, who played in the movie Stab' but who had a real bad wig there in the movie within the movie. But she was not as pretty either here.
This one may be not as original as the first one, but it still is funny, exciting, surprising (you never know who is/are the killer(s)) and well acted. For the psycho killer(s) I must say he/she/they was/were great, you really believed he/she /they were totally flipped and you bought it. Neve Campbell really has grown in acting and is yet much more believable and so are David Arquette and Courteney Cox, whose characters are deepened out.
NOW I want to spend a few lines on the great Neve Campbell, I thought she will be great (as in a successful actress) when I saw The Craft, Scream, Scream 2, but I must revise this now, she chooses to stay and make low budget films, that are not so heavily supported by the studios and so tend to make little money. But I must say that it is a good choice as long as the movies are as good as Wild Things or Simba's Pride.
The best thing here though is the direction, Wes Craven made this one much more theatrical than the first one, and there are two scenes I LUV especially, the opening scene and the rehearsal scene. They are great and combine effects, music and events perfectly. Also there are some great spoofs. Now I bet you wonder why this does not get a 10, I presume, well I felt that some things should not have been done in the film, like that scene when Cox and Arquette go see some footage. Also I didn't like the new camera dude that much, played by Duane Martin, for I thought his frightened' character was too overdone. Also I found the ending not very good, it was mere average. The end of Scream was much and much better, so it come that this film does not get a 10.
Still: rent, watch and enjoy
8 out of 10