"She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?" - Psycho (American Psycho 2 (DVD))

Member Name: ILoveJackDaniels

Product:	American Psycho 2 (DVD)
Date:	06/12/02 (1467 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fit chick in the lead roll

Disadvantages: Not a sequel to American Psycho

According to Scream 2, a sequel (to a great movie) that lacked almost all of the things that made its predecessor great, "Sequels Suck". The film makes a lot of fun of itself, not least when the lovable Randy points out The Rules. There are three Rules to making a successful sequel. The body count must always be higher. The death scenes are always more elaborate. And never assume the killer is dead. American Psycho 2 follows these rules to the letter.

Following in great Hollywood tradition, American Psycho 2 is not as good as its predecessor. American Psycho was a superb movie - a great tale based on a brilliant book, and one of the few movies I don't think anyone should be without a copy of in their video collection. It is obvious that the sequel has been made exclusively to make money of the back of American Psycho's success. On the positive side, unlike most sequels, it does not attempt to match its inspiration. Liking American Psycho is no guarantee that you will like this sequel, for whereas the story of Patrick Bateman was a satyrical and violent movie, number 2 is more of a teen-horror flick, reminiscent of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, though a touch darker than both.

The movie is not terribly gory as horror movies go, and sticks to a fairly standard theme. A young (and extremely beautiful) student, Rachel Newman, obsessed with serial killers, is single-mindedly determined to become an F.B.I. agent for just that reason. Her goal leads her to college, where her tuition is at the hands of the F.B.I.'s top former profiler, Dr. Bobby Starkman. A job as his assistant would virtually guarantee her a place at the Quantico training facility, and from there to the ranks of the F.B.I..

Though predictable, the movie is nevertheless very entertaining, and Mila Kunis's performance as Rachel is superb. Rachel seems an emotionless, calculating and quick-witted young woman, normal except for an obvious inabi
lity to differentiate between right and wrong. She has very clear goals to attain, and any obstacle to those goals will be removed with the utmost precision and the coldest of methods.

The plot is deeper than I would have expected, though I felt that Rachel's obsession and history with Patrick Bateman could have been explored further. Much of the film is slower paced than necessary, and there are moments when things could become slightly confusing. Overall though, the plot certainly does its job, providing plenty of victims for Rachel and plenty of moments for her to show just how sociopathic she has become.

Mila Kunis was excellent - a real pleasure to watch as much for her brilliant performance as her stunning looks. William Shatner's performance as Bobby Starkman was lacking, though, giving the impression more that he was an average teacher than the F.B.I.'s top former profiler. Unfortunately, the other characters in the film all seem to be a little too two-dimensional, which is a shame as many of them could have given much more to the film, had the script allowed.

I would highly reccomend watching this if you fancy a fun movie with little substance, and do not watch it expecting a sequel to American Psycho - this has more merit in its own right than as a continuation of the Patrick Bateman saga.





CAST

Mila Kunis (That 70's Show, Gia)
William Shatner (Do I really need to say..?)
Geraint Wyn Davies (The Stepmother)
Robin Dunne (Cruel Intentions 2, The Skulls 2)
Lindy Booth (The Skulls 2, Relic Hunter)



RATING

UK - 18
US - R



TRIVIA

The entire movie was shot in just 20 days, and for the low, low cost of just 3 million dollars!



TAGLINES

"Angrier. Deadlier. Sexier."

"A Girl's Gotta Do What A Girl's Gotta Do."

Summary: