Official Synopsis:
She captivated moviegoers with her raw sensuality and steel heart. Now Sharon Stone is back as the notorious crime novelist, Catherine Tramell. This time she proves to be respected criminal psychologist Dr. Michael Glass' (David Morrissey) deadliest challenge. With professional boundaries blurred by obsession, Dr. Glass is lured into a murderous web of lies and deceit and begins a torrid affair with Tramell that takes him to the point of no return. As their passions rise, so does the body count - and Dr. Glass faces a choice that will change his life forever.
Our Take:
Ahh... the infamous Basic Instinct 2. Fourteen years in the making, and then a painful crash and burn at the box office. Why did the film fail so spectacularly? Personally, I think that it was a combination of poor marketing and the fact that people just didn't care all that much. Aside from Sharon Stone, none of the original players returned, and 14 years is just too damn long for most people to wait for a sequel if your film doesn't have the words Star and Wars in the title.
So how bad is it? Not that bad, actually. Sharon Stone falls right back into playing Catherine Tramell as if she's been doing it regularly for years. She smolders her way through the film, snarling and smirking, and ultimately manipulating every other character around her. She’s clearly reveling in her return to the naughty side. You certainly can't blame her for the film's collapse.
No, the problem lies in the script and the pacing. Aside from a little bit of dodgy dialogue, the biggest problem is the shift from the world of the police to the world of psychology. Whereas the first film was an exciting, pulse-pounding thriller fueled by sex, violence, and car chases, Basic Instinct 2 is fueled by talking. And lots of it. For an unrated film (at least the DVD version is unrated), the sex is dialed down a lot from the first film (although, truth be told, Stone still looks fantastic naked, especially for her age). There are some great moments in the movie, they are just few and far between. The basic instincts are missing and have been replaced by endless talking about them. It's almost like the filmmakers knew they were making a direct-to-video film, and kept their budget low by eschewing expensive set pieces for dialogue-driven scenes.
The DVD release for Basic Instinct 2 comes with a few extra features, with the deleted scenes and alternate ending available only on the Unrated Edition.
* Commentary - Director Michael Caton-Jones delivers an informative if slightly dry commentary.
* Deleted Scenes - 10 deleted scenes with a running time of 16 minutes total. All can also be viewed with optional commentary by Caton-Jones.
* Alternate Ending (1 minute) - A slightly different ending, also with optional commentary.
* Between The Sheets: A Look Inside Basic Instinct 2 (11 minutes) - The cast (including Sharon Stone) and crew talk about the movie in a fairly fluffy EPK-style featurette.
Don't believe the hype: Basic Instinct 2 isn't nearly as bad as they say it is. It also, unfortunately, isn't nearly as good as it could have been. With a knowingly over-the-top performance by Stone and a solid role by David Morrissey in the male lead, the film had some of the right ingredients to be a knockout. It just never gets entirely off the ground. Those of you curious to satisfy your curiosity will find a somewhat enjoyable film, but those looking for extreme chills will find yourselves left wanting.
Overall Picture:
Movie: C+
DVD: B
- Mike Spring
Editor
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