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Scary Movie 2


SCARY MOVIE 2

Scary Movie 2 is the 2001 sequel to the Wayan Brothers' surprise hit of the previous year that is a slight improvement over the first film (not a monumental achievement) that documents Keenen Ivory Wayans' skill as a farceur who knows how to mine laughs, but sometimes doesn't know when to let a joke go and move on to the next one.

This film picks up with Cindy (Anna Faris), Ray (Shawn Wayans), Shorty (Marlon Wayans), and Brenda from the first film now in college who are invited by a morally repugnant college professor (Tim Curry) to spend the weekend in a haunted mansion, where it is revealed that the dead mistress of the house looks exactly like Cindy...well, not exactly.

If you enjoyed the first film, you'll find laughs here too. Keenen Ivory Wayans understands the genre he's spoofing and always lets the story take a backseat to the next available joke. The film opens with a dead on spoof of The Exorcist featuring James Wood, Andy Richter, and Veronica Cartwright that is hysterically funny, but has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the movie.

The basic plot here seems to resemble the Hithcock classic Rebecca, but the screenplay also features affectionate winks at Poltergiest, Friday the 13th, Boomerang, Charlie's Angels, Ghostbusters, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Wayans basic idea is a good one, but what he has to understand when mounting this kind of satire, the jokes must come rapidly so that the viewer doesn't have to much time to think about the silliness he is being subjected to but every joke Wayans employs here is ground into dust until you just want to scream to the actors, "OK, we get it, move on!"

The cast seem comfortable with their roles though every moment Marlon Wayans was given onscreen was agonizing. Tori Spelling and Kathleen Robertson, fresh off Beverly Hills 90210 are wasted in pointless roles and Chris Elliott is just embarrassing. Truthfully, the funniest moments in the movie come from a parrot with a potty mouth, but if you liked the first one...belly up and enjoy.