Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

Review by Heath Hoffman

 

The film:

Basic Instinct 2 made a cameo appearance in theaters this past March and was shunned by both critics and fans alike. Whether it was ill-timed (due to the death of the erotic thriller sometime in the mid-90s) or Sharon Stone’s age (apparently women can’t be sexy in Hollywood after 40), the film barely lasted a week in theaters. It was in a much-publicized development hell for many years. Stone sued the producers because they refused to make it back in 2001 when they couldn’t find a leading man to replace original leading man Michael Douglas (from the first film, in case you’ve been living under a rock since 1990). So, did the film deserve the treatment it deserved?

 

This is truly the definition of a belated sequel. It would’ve worked for both fans and critics had they released this 3-5 years after the original. It might be the conservative times we live in or the fact that sex simply doesn’t sell in movies anymore. Unlike the killer that keeps coming back for more in one horror sequel after another, the erotic thriller is dead and buried. But surprisingly, the film still works…to a point.

 

I saw this film in theaters and again in the ‘unrated, uncut’ (and I use both terms very loosely) DVD version. There is no difference. The infamous threesome scene is still absent and Catherine’s bisexuality from the first film is all but a forgotten memory. The sex and violence are tame compared to the 1992 original, but typical of an R-rated film in the year 2006.

 

There were some minor continuity errors that annoyed the crap out of me (such as Catherine’s mispronunciation of her erstwhile detective boyfriend’s last name), but that’s just nitpicking a little bit.

 

The score, by John Murphy, rehashes the original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Murphy’s new material isn’t groundbreaking by any means, but it works.

 

While not on par with the original in terms of quality and plain sleaziness, Basic Instinct 2 is fun & trashy and nowhere near as awful as everyone made it out to be.

 

Pros:

-Great performance by Sharon Stone

-Jerry Goldsmith’s score (as performed by John Murphy)

-Cinematography

 

Cons:

-Tame compared to the original

 

If we lived in the world of Basic Instinct 2:

-Sharon Stone would still be hot, no matter how old she was.

 

Rating:

6 out of 10