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As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (61) | Rotten (14) | DVD (6)
The rest of the cast of disposable archetypes deadpanned about why ''sequels suck'' -- a particularly funny joke, since this one didn't. Mar 24, 2011 | Rating: B | Full Review…
The rest of the cast of disposable archetypes deadpanned about why ''sequels suck'' -- a particularly funny joke, since this one didn't.
Chris Nashawaty
Visceral, witty and appropriately redundant... Jul 28, 2008
Visceral, witty and appropriately redundant...
Leonard Klady
If you liked Scream there's no reason you shouldn't like this sequel. Sep 23, 2007 | Full Review…
If you liked Scream there's no reason you shouldn't like this sequel.
Lisa Alspector
The film itself is stuck in a cycle of repetition, with slight variations. Jun 24, 2006 | Full Review…
The film itself is stuck in a cycle of repetition, with slight variations.
Derek Adams
While the shocks come thick and fast, the real pleasure comes from the knowing humour and ingenious spoofing of genre tropes. May 29, 2001 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
While the shocks come thick and fast, the real pleasure comes from the knowing humour and ingenious spoofing of genre tropes.
Neil Smith
A horror movie balancing gore and terror with personality, humor and a nifty gimmick. Jan 1, 2000
A horror movie balancing gore and terror with personality, humor and a nifty gimmick.
Michael Wilmington
A sharp collection of observations strung across two hours of bloodshed, intricate motives, pointed cultural references and nearly flawless examples of well-modulated tension. Jul 2, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
A sharp collection of observations strung across two hours of bloodshed, intricate motives, pointed cultural references and nearly flawless examples of well-modulated tension.
David Keyes
Old-hand Craven delivers a delectably gruesome, well-crafted horror yarn that is crisply edited, inventively photographed and devilishly cast. Sep 1, 2015 | Full Review…
Old-hand Craven delivers a delectably gruesome, well-crafted horror yarn that is crisply edited, inventively photographed and devilishly cast.
Roger Hurlburt
Its self-awareness has a brashness that can be enlivening. May 20, 2011 | Rating: B | Full Review…
Its self-awareness has a brashness that can be enlivening.
Nick Schager
The first 10 minutes attain a deranged brilliance (especially considering Charlie Kaufman wouldn't introduce his own brand of narrative invention for another two years). Apr 8, 2011 | Rating: 3.5 | Full Review…
The first 10 minutes attain a deranged brilliance (especially considering Charlie Kaufman wouldn't introduce his own brand of narrative invention for another two years).
Josh Larsen
...a perfunctory (yet consistently watchable) sequel... Apr 4, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
...a perfunctory (yet consistently watchable) sequel...
David Nusair
Bloody good fun. Mar 30, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Bloody good fun.
Scott Nash
Not entirely as original as the first film but doing fine in its self-awareness of sequel rules. In addition there are some outrageously exciting scenes. Too bad the two killers are as chatty as the ones in the first part during the showdown.
Super Reviewer
Though mildly entertaining and with some inspired moments here and there, the sad truth is that this routine sequel is not clever or witty enough to subvert this "rule" that sequels are always inferior to the original film especially when it comes to horror movies.
A smash of a sequel concerning the same group of young people mysteriously stalked by a vicious killer. Full of scenes of self-referential-ism and possessing an acute self-awareness that makes it instantly charming, director Wes Craven knows how to spoof the same genre that made him famous to begin with. Neve Campbell is perfect as the lead, with nice, funny supporting turns from a well-rounded young cast. It trips up a little bit here and there on some things, but one could argue that his movie is a tad better than the first, a claim the movie itself humorously labels as near-impossible in most cases. I have to say I think I liked it just a bit more than the first, though.
As I'll probably end up stating elsewhere in the future, when a film is so meta, it becomes difficult to discern that against the actual content of the film. That is, whether it's intentional or not. Scream 2 picks up a couple of years after the original Scream, and it opens again with two random people who are murdered in the opening moments and have very little to do with the main plot. The problem I have with this sequel is that the killer(s), when you find out who they are, seem to be a bit hackneyed. I understand what they were going for, but is it meta or isn't it? I'm not quite sure. The one positive thing that I have to say about the movie is that Jamie Kennedy is finally killed off. I hate Jamie Kennedy so much and the series is much better without him. He always stands out like a sore thumb whenever he's in something and I can't wait until he's not on screen anymore. There's also quite a number of huge stars in this movie. Unsurprising really, as a lot of these people went on to make more horror movies and have careers on TV, as well. It's not quite as compelling or as good as the first one, but it's fun, and that's about all you can ask for in a sequel, I guess.
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