Scary Movie 2 (2001)

Movie Info

My Germs!

Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her friends Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), her brother Shorty Meeks (Marlon Wayans), Ray Wilkins (Shawn Wayans), Cindy’s boyfriend Buddy Sanderson (Chris Masterson), Theo (Kathleen Robertson), and Alex Monday (Tori Spelling) have been selected by Professor Oldman (Tim Curry) and his assistant Dwight Hartman (David Cross) to partake in a study at the legendary Hell House.  The troubled past of Cindy and her friends have awakened the spirits of Hell House, and the spirits don’t take kindly to strangers!

Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, Scary Movie 2 is a horror spoof.  The film is a sequel to the blockbuster Scary Movie of 2000.  The film received negative reviews but was a box office hit.

Despite the negative reviews, I actually like Scary Movie 2.  The first Scary Movie I thought was ok, but I felt that the film improved upon the gags of the first film.  I can see why people did have a problem with the film, but I think there are things that redeem it.

Do you feel lucky, punk?

Part of the problem with all parody movies is that they are often piecemealed together.  The first Scary Movie went after Scream and other pop-’90s horror films that really were already comedies to begin with.  This movie goes after the supernatural films, but also has some missteps like unnecessarily including an Exorcist reference in an already jumbled film (which just feels like a bad remake of the classic SNL Richard Pryor version).  With The Haunting, The Amityville Horror, and Poltergeist as some of the basis, there is already enough material without dredging The Exorcist.

The cast also expands but it is what makes this movie better.  Anna Faris continues to be likable and goofy with Regina Hall as her fun loving friend.  I never particularly liked Marlon Wayans “Shorty” character who is back and expanded, but he is outshined by newcomers David “I can do it myself” Cross as the wheelchair bound Dwight and Chris Elliott as Hanson with his tiny hand.  Both bring big laughs (at the expense of the disabled which is a whole different argument).  Other actors appearing in small rolls include James Woods, Andy Richter, Richard Moll, Veronica Cartwright, Natasha Lyonne, and comedian Beetlejuice.

Angel Power!

I will say that Scary Movie 2 doesn’t age well.  Parody films are always at risk here.  Many of the jokes are directly tied to other movies and often timely.  There are jokes tied to commercial like Nike (the basketball part)…which are funny if you remember them, but feel totally out of place if you don’t.  It is a risk by the filmmakers that the audience will connect with the things being parodied.

I liked the risks in parody that Scary Movie 2 made more than the parodies made in Scary Movie (maybe because Scream already is a parody).  The film might not be critically as well received but I do like it better.  The Waynes ties to the Scary Movie franchise ended after this film (they did return to the idea in A Haunted House in 2013).  Scary Movie 2 was followed by Scary Movie 3 in 2003.

Related Links:

Scary Movie (2000)

Scary Movie 3 (2003)

Scary Movie 4 (2006)

Scary Movie 5 (2013)