>>REVIEW
BASIC INSTINCT 2
STARRING Sharon Stone and David Morrissey
DIRECTED BY: Michael Caton-Jones
Now playing
Check listings
It’s been 14 years since Sharon Stone’s knockers starred in Basic Instinct. And darned if they still don’t look great – toned, pleasantly perky – gosh, I can only hope my breasts look that good when I’m 48, and hey – I’m a guy. With all the fuss being made in the press recently about the actress’s physical attributes, in short, those sprightly boobies are still fun enough to spend a couple of hours with.
Stone herself? Ehhhh… not so much.
It’s not entirely her fault, though – there’s only so much plausibility one can bring to the role of a bisexual crime novelist/manslayer. And with the nutty character of Catherine Tramell turned up a notch in Basic Instinct 2, over-the-top camp is not only unavoidable, it’s darn near a prerequisite.
So, for the inevitable Razzie that will come her way, let it be known that Stone does all she can probably do with something as soft-headed as Basic Instinct 2. How can you save an ill-conceived project when you’re sashaying around as a cleavage-baring caricature of what was once a slightly intriguing character? And with no punch to the script, no Michael Douglas, no panties –well, shoot, what’s a girl to do?
Proof positive that Tramell still hasn’t learned to keep those damn legs shut, we first catch up with her in this sequel, speeding through London in a sports car with a stoned soccer stud who is more than happy to (ahem) lend Catherine a hand. Not surprisingly, the ensuing orgasm lands the vehicle into the Thames, her passenger in the morgue and the sultry Tramell into the psychiatric care of Dr. Michael Glass (David Morissey), who attempts to deal with her "risk addictions."
Like the original, a noir-ish cop (David Thewlis) is tangled up in the mess, though it’s Glass that Catherine chooses to reel in – meaning it’s only a matter of time before he kisses goodbye both professional ethics and some of his closest colleagues and friends. Whatever. None of what transpires in the story is unforeseen, nor all that entertaining.
Nope, most will come to see (a) a film so ridiculously bad, it’s good, or (b) hot sex.
And chances are, they’ll be disappointed on both counts.
See, Basic Instinct 2 is just too over-the-top in its stupidity to enjoy. And even with Stone’s inconceivably buff bod on display, Caton-Jones fails to bring much heat to the naughty bits either. Paul Verhoeven’s original wasn’t as smart as it pretended to be, but at least it had snap. It had crackle. This one just plops. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.