I Still Know What You Did Last Summer


3/4

Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, Matthew Settle

Rated R for Intense Terror Violence and Gore, Strong Language, and Some Drug Use

The lower your expectations are, the more you’ll enjoy “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” which as everyone seems to have already pointed out, should be called, “I Still Know What You Did Two Summers Ago.”  I’ll admit, also like everyone else, that the title that was used sounds better.

Like most sequels, it’s inferior to its predecessor (a film that I found to be a lot better than I thought it would be), but not by much.  The production values are a lot better, the acting is stronger, and it has an ending that, while sort of a cheat, is unexpected.

One year after most of her friends were brutally murdered by Ben Willis (Muse Watson), Julie James (Hewitt) is still having nightmares.  But when her best friend Karla (Brandy) wins tickets to the Bahamas on a radio show, she knows that this is exactly what Julie needs.  Of course, when they get there, not everything is what they expected.  Everyone is leaving due to an imminent storm and they’re the only ones there.  Things couldn’t get any worse…until someone is picking off everyone that's left.

The two surviving members of the first film are back, although Ray (Prinze, Jr) spends most of his time trying to get to the island that Julie is on to warn her that the Killer in the Slicker is back.  Jennifer Love Hewitt is not only gorgeous and can let out of a great scream (the only two real requisites for being a horror movie heroine), she’s a decent actress.  She makes Julie real, which considering the material, is rather impressive.  Brandy is quite likable as Julie’s supportive best friend, and Matthew Settle is VERY good as Will, the handsome hunk who is in love with Julie.  The only who sticks out is Mekhi Phifer; Phifer can act (see “ER” and “O” for evidence of this), but his performance as Karla’s jerk boyfriend feels forced.  And it’s kinda cool to see a respected comedian like Bill Cobbs in a slasher movie, and it’s always great to see Jack Black (in an uncredited cameo as the pothead recreations director).

The problem with the film is that it’s not very scary.  Director Danny Cannon can’t even get a jump scene right.  But the film looks great and it is watchable.  And, on some level, enjoyable.

Then there’s the ending.  Although someone had given it away to me years ago, I loved the audacity of it.  True, it doesn’t make much sense coming after everything else (the first film had the same problem), but the sudden bleakness of it is unexpected in any movie, especially in the slasher genre.

Do I recommend it?  If you liked the first one, give it a shot.  If not, you’re not missing much.

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