Product: Queer as Folk 2 [Region 2] (2000)
Rating: 2.0
A Disappointing Follow-Up
I loved the original Queer as Folk series. Great characters. Interesting plots. Terrific writing and performances. And, although Stuart was a truly reprehensible character, he was fascinating to watch and I believed him. On top of that, as someone who works in the comic book industry professionally and was a Doctor Who fan in my youth, I identified with Vince (perhaps a little too much on too many levels). I was so caught up in the original series on DVD that I watched the last four episodes in one sitting; I found it that compelling.I couldn't wait to see the follow-up. I have to admit that I came away very disappointed. There were numerous individual scenes that were powerful and/or funny, but they were not bound by a cohesive plot nor by consistent characterization.If I were to sum it up in one quick explanation, I would say it suffers from the "Broadway Damage" syndrome. ("Broadway Damage" is a gay romantic comedy which is a flawed movie that I still enjoy. The biggest problem is that the movie has the ending that the audience wants it to have, but does not make sense in the context of the characters as they are presented. "Free Enterprise" suffers from a similar problem.) In this case, the movie has the ending that I think the author thought the audience would want, but to be honest, I thought it was wrong on many levels. (Or, perhaps it's the ending the author wanted it to have, but didn't know how to get there in a believable way.)I should also note that the blurb on the back of the DVD packaging paints a much different picture of the contents than is what is actually contained in the 90 minute movie. The description makes the movie sound like a suspenseful thriller, which it is not. The blackmail plot, while one of the more interesting elements, is merely a subplot that totals maybe eight minutes of screen time. And the whole "Stuart crossing the law for revenge" element is not anything like it sounds, and does NOT tie into the blackmail plot directly. (Such as it is, it's also not one of the more believable elements, either.)I find it curious that writer Russell T. Davies, who created such rich, interesting, and believable characters for the first series could undermine them so thoroughly in the follow-up. Not only does Stuart spin completely out of control to the point of being unbelievable even in the context of Stuart (his whole "revenge" plot doesn't make much sense in terms of his character. His motivation is murky at best, and I didn't buy it at all). Hazel and Bernie stoop to illegal activities in order to help Vince in what I believe was intended to be a humorous side story, but only succeeded in undermining their characters. Nathan shows brief glimpses of a working brain, but remains more dedicated to his reproductive organs (which is in keeping with his character, so I can't object to this). And Vince--well, he doesn't seem to learn anything. Every time it would appear that he has finally grown up and realized that his obsession with Stuart is unhealthy and counterproductive, he immediately caves in and goes back to being whipping boy/lap dog. It all leads to a conclusion that I didn't like nor believe.The cast remains charismatic, in spite of the material with which they are given to work. The direction is solid. The sheer filmmaking of the final scene in Manchester was visually interesting (although I kept wanting to hear the sound of Doctor Who's TARDIS in order to tie the images together with Vince's character, but alas, such was not to be. At least that would have tied elements together, although how many people outside of the UK would have understood that reference is questionable). The editing was solid. Locations well chosen (although I'm not convinced they used the same set for Stuart's apartment. It didn't look the same to me. I did miss seeing Vince's home. He was defined only by his job in this installment). All in all, a well produced movie, but at its core is a script that doesn't quite work. Too bad, really.Stick to the original. A great investment of time and money. Rent the follow up first to be sure you want to purchase it.