Robert Elkins

I hate to say it, but I don't rate this highly at all. This could and should have been amazing. Everything was there for it to be just that; a solid foundation from the original, a strong returning cast, but the whole thing was just…meh, really. It had the feeling of a production that had a very inexperienced creative department, even though it didn’t. The script seemed to have been written to a very tight deadline, with little time for rewrites or indeed anyone to take a step back and ask themselves “Is this really good enough?” As such this sequel merely took all of the component parts of the original; locations, characters, events, and simply reshuffled them into a different order, existing firmly within the confines of the original world instead of expanding upon it to take the viewer on a new journey/adventure. The main plot was just empty of anything new or notable. The two sub-plots involving an ex-wife and Ortega’s brief love interest felt entirely disconnected from everything else that was happening, even though they were supposed to be the main drivers. They were also both poorly introduced and poorly concluded, and felt comfortable completely random, with zero backstory to explain their relevance to the overall narrative. The only good things I can say about this were Micheal Keaton and Winona Ryder’s performances; they were excellent! On the whole though, it all felt pretty unoriginal and lazy; made as quick and as cheaply as possible to cash in on the inevitable hype from those who remember the original so fondly. But I guess that’s what we’ve come to expect from Hollywood these days. What a shame.