SPOILERS Sequels can often be a mistake. Rarely as good as the first, they can even sometimes cause detrimental effects to the predecessor. In 1994 then so many must have questioned the logic in creating a sequel to the hit film "City Slickers" from three years before. As far as sequels go though, "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" isn't that bad. Yes it's not as good as the first film and there are times you groan with disapproval, but for the most part it is an entertaining follow on to the previous film.
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) has turned 40. Preparing for a celebratory night of passion with his wife (Patricia Wettig), Mitch accidentally stumbles across a map in an old friends hat. Believing it to lead to gold, Mitch, best friend Phil (Daniel Stern) and "Godfather" quoting brother Glen (Jon Lovitz) head once more back into the desert.
Clearly believing it's viewers have seen the original, this story, written by the same pairing of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, is not afraid to put in constant references to the earlier work. Copying events which happened a year previously, lines are tributes of "City Slickers" and jokes are even part reconstructions. In effect, part II is almost exactly more of the same.
If you decide to repeat the original, then that isn't necessarily a problem. Bringing back Crystal, Stern, one or two other cameos and even Jack Palance (Oscar nominated for the first film), the matrix is the same and the jokes do flow. Taking ideas like the Shalowitz brothers ice-cream knowledge and changing it into Glen's letter counting skills, the film picks up old notions and jumbles them around to come up with something new.
The unfortunate truth of the matter though is that if you DO decide to just rehash a lot of the jokes and use the same cast and layout, then your going to loose something of the original. Amazingly, even though it was released only three years after the first film, this new part does feel a considerably more modern equivalent. With harsher colours and a more exaggerated opening animation, it feels almost like a remake. It also lacks the unique feel that the first film possessed. Introducing the characters for the first time, playing that music for the first time, stuff like that. It's like an old reunion where you meet up with the people you used to be friends with and go through the motions as if your young again. You can have a lot of fun, but you can never go back.
"City Slickers II" is fun. It's unashamed lighthearted fun which feels like more of a remake and tribute than a sequel to it's predecessor. Bringing back most of the old cast, it feels just like the continuation of the story. For the most part this is a good thing. Once more you watch Mitch and Phil as they roam the desert. You laugh with them, you reminisce with them, you bond with them. Ultimately though, something is missing. The originality of the first film isn't there and whilst the film is still great to watch, it's not as good as it's predecessor. Fun though.
Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) has turned 40. Preparing for a celebratory night of passion with his wife (Patricia Wettig), Mitch accidentally stumbles across a map in an old friends hat. Believing it to lead to gold, Mitch, best friend Phil (Daniel Stern) and "Godfather" quoting brother Glen (Jon Lovitz) head once more back into the desert.
Clearly believing it's viewers have seen the original, this story, written by the same pairing of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, is not afraid to put in constant references to the earlier work. Copying events which happened a year previously, lines are tributes of "City Slickers" and jokes are even part reconstructions. In effect, part II is almost exactly more of the same.
If you decide to repeat the original, then that isn't necessarily a problem. Bringing back Crystal, Stern, one or two other cameos and even Jack Palance (Oscar nominated for the first film), the matrix is the same and the jokes do flow. Taking ideas like the Shalowitz brothers ice-cream knowledge and changing it into Glen's letter counting skills, the film picks up old notions and jumbles them around to come up with something new.
The unfortunate truth of the matter though is that if you DO decide to just rehash a lot of the jokes and use the same cast and layout, then your going to loose something of the original. Amazingly, even though it was released only three years after the first film, this new part does feel a considerably more modern equivalent. With harsher colours and a more exaggerated opening animation, it feels almost like a remake. It also lacks the unique feel that the first film possessed. Introducing the characters for the first time, playing that music for the first time, stuff like that. It's like an old reunion where you meet up with the people you used to be friends with and go through the motions as if your young again. You can have a lot of fun, but you can never go back.
"City Slickers II" is fun. It's unashamed lighthearted fun which feels like more of a remake and tribute than a sequel to it's predecessor. Bringing back most of the old cast, it feels just like the continuation of the story. For the most part this is a good thing. Once more you watch Mitch and Phil as they roam the desert. You laugh with them, you reminisce with them, you bond with them. Ultimately though, something is missing. The originality of the first film isn't there and whilst the film is still great to watch, it's not as good as it's predecessor. Fun though.