Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

The Trailer Park Comes to Bloomsbury

There is something to be said for Michael Caton-Jones' "Basic Instinct 2", and that is that one man's trash is another man's treasure. In this turgid followup to Paul Verhoeven's original (and equally trashy) 1992 psychosexual romp, the icepick-wielding vixen, Catherine Tramell, is back and, as played by Sharon Stone, she's as flippant, horny, and, oh yes, lethal as ever. And I'm happy to report that Catherine's trailer park sex appeal also remains intact; without an iota of class, she roars through London, decimating all of those unfortunate enough to get in her way. It was hard, even in the original "Basic Instinct", to buy Catherine Tramell as the product of a wealthy, privileged upbringing, so undisguised was her utter, careless wantonness, her frankly stated and (apparently) insatiable appetites. But that's what makes Catherine so much fun to watch. A cross between Hannibal Lector and "Queer As Folk's" Brian Kinney, she's a twisted, sexed-up, very dangerous camp icon who behaves in much the same way an over-the-top male character might be expected to behave. I know people who are more appalled by her sexual excesses in these films than they are by the sudden bursts of violence. In fact, the violence in "Basic Instinct 2" is kept to a minimum, most of it being seen after the actual act has taken place. The sex, itself, is fairly graphic, although no more than what I would expect from such an undertaking.

The plot of "Basic Instinct 2" follows Catherine from her old San Francisco stomping grounds to London Towne, at once picturesque and rainy, made all the more atmospheric by the stunningly photographed landmarks. A soccer hero with whom Catherine is involved, dies in a questionable (and utterly tasteless) auto "accident" that opens the film. Drugs are found in the man's system, including one that induces paralysis, and the lead cop (David Thewliss) immediately suspects Catherine of murder. Sent to criminal psychologist Michael Glass, Catherine wastes no time in weaving a web of lies and sexual intrigue that result in more deaths occurring before the unconvincing finale.

The performances aren't bad, given the film's relentless silliness and determined lack of taste. As stated, Stone has turned Catherine Tramell into a camp icon, a character who is, really, above criticism. Love her or hate her, she is what she is. And she looks damn good, at age 48, doing what it is that she does so well. As Glass, the psychologist with a painful past, David Morrissey does what he can with a role that varies wildly, requiring him to veer from stiff-upper-lip Britishness to out-of-his-gourd madman; the fact that his character is not remotely believable cannot be contributed to his lack of skill as an actor. David Thewliss, as a good cop/bad cop combo starts out bringing a certain level of realism to his character, although once he goes over the top, there's no bringing him back. And it's good to see Charlotte Rampling, as a colleague of Dr. Glass, back onscreen, even though she frequently looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She seems unsure whether to maintain a certain dignity that seems to be in line the character she's playing, or to just let go and jump into the hammy fray. Unfortunately (I think), by choosing the former and playing it safe, her performance is the one element that seems jarringly out of place in this free-for-all thriller. In supporting roles, Indira Varma ("Rome") and Hugh Dancy, are scenic, but wasted, as ill-fated lovers who become ensnared in Catherine's web.

While the film's plot just serves as an excuse to show us how clever Catherine is, with pretty, naked people assuming various sexual positions as violence pretty much consumes everyone onscreen, "Basic Instinct 2" is not without its merits. To get the most of the movie, do not sit down to watch it with the intention of seeing a serious thriller; it's soft-core porn right down to its dark roots and twisted soul. But if you know what you're in for, and don't take it too seriously, it's a hoot. August 22, 2008

DVD

Good price and fast service, I only but used DVDs now and save up to 50%, Great way to build a film library, and I have never been stuck with a dud. Will shop again and would recommend to anyone. July 28, 2008

thumps way down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a disappointment!!! I am a big fan of Basic Instinct and Sharon Stone. I was trilled when I heard they were making BI2. When I heard it was taking place in London I said, BIG MISTAKE!! Catherine T. will not be living in England. She will live, other than the US, in Spain, Italy, or France; where were the beautiful and scandalous people gathered. Then, when I heard who the main male actos were I said, OK SECOND BIG MISTAKE!!! I mean, need I say more!!!!!!!!!!!! June 16, 2008

Amazing, but ten years too late.

At least they got a decent leading man for this one.
If you thought Sharon Stone looked droopy, can you imagine what Douglas would have looked like? EWWWWW!!!
The nudity didn't even faze me.
The story line was pretty good, it held my interest but dragged in a few places. I don't understand why this movie got slammed as hard as it did.
I've seen worse. WAY worse.
All in all, I liked it and I wasn't expecting to.
Ignore the critics and see it for yourself.
Recommended. June 13, 2008

"I'm the only actress you have to pay to keep her clothes on."

All sequels lack integrity by their very nature. They're copies. And they're copies made for the sole purpose of studios cashing in on the original idea. They're usually haphazard and lazy, with only a handful actually being just as good as or better than their predecessor. Basic Instinct 2 is worse than most sequels. My problems with the film are:

Sharon Stone--Ms. Sharon Stone just doesn't have it anymore. She is no longer capable of being a good actress. Okay, enough with my comedy attempt, when was she ever a good actress? She's done two good movies her whole career, yet she actually comes off so self-important as if she's had the career of Meryl Streep. She's not even fit to be compared to Demi Moore. I liked the movie Diabolique, and Sliver was okay, but they weren't good movies. And her acting was only passable in those. Also, even when Sharon Stone was supposed to be really hot, she wasn't. She wasn't the sexiest girl in Basic Instinct. The girl who played Roxy was. I wonder what happened to her?

David Morrissey--When I first heard that some guy named Morrissey was playing the lead, I thought they were actually talking about the former lead singer of The Smiths. He would have been 25 times better than this Morrissey. At least we would have had some charisma on screen. D. Morrissey is about as charming and charismatic as a celery stick with no dip. And he has no chemistry at all with Stone. In a sexual thriller or romance, you must have chemistry. I heard about all of the demands Stone made about who her co-star had to be. She said no to Benjamin Bratt, but picked this walking piece of dandruff to be her male lead?

The Plot--Next.

The sex--Tacky and raunchy; nothing sexy at all about it. In the first one, every sex scene was well done and suspenseful. Will she or won't she pull out the ice pick? There's no lesbianism in the movie either. Some think this was a critique of the Bush-era America. Sure, because every nation and the people in it always adopt the values of their leader. If that were the case, everybody would be church-going Christians who loved their country and wouldn't care about a little water torture of terrorists, i.e. there would be no liberals. Does this idea of a nation mirroring the values of its leader mean America lost its sexual morals during the Clinton Administration? Isn't it more likely they strayed from girl on girl action because of all the whiners who accused the original film of homophobia because they made the killer bi? Or maybe the producers knew the public wouldn't bite on a lesbian theme when everybody can see that during the MTV Music Awards.

Continuity--It would have been nice to at least tell the audience what happened with Mike Douglas's character; but I guess it's easy to forget a lot about the first film when there's been a 15 year gap between movie release dates, and when the one writing the movie wasn't even born 15 years ago.


Bottom Line: Stilted acting and storyline. There is a cold and soulless tone to the entire film. And it has no repeat playability factor.

June 5, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...