Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Premise: A sequel to the 1992 original. Writer Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) is again in trouble with the law and gets involved with the psychiatrist (David Morrissey), leading him to believe she might be a serial killer.
What Works: Basic Instinct 2 has a few good lines and in her best moments Stone is able to recapture the original film’s dangerous and erotic qualities.
What Doesn’t: The rest of the film is an utter disaster. The editing is shoddy and the screenplay is full of holes. Surprisingly, there is no eroticism in Basic Instinct 2. Despite a few sex scenes, the film is unable to create any sexual tension between the characters and the whole film is devoid of a sense of danger. The most egregious move in this film is the treatment of Tramell’s character. The original Basic Instinct established Catherine Tramell as one of the great villains of American cinema in large part because of the character’s ambiguity and her ability to manipulate the environment around her. This film discards the ambiguity and has Stone sneering and posturing for the camera like a parody of herself.
Bottom Line: Basic Instinct 2 is bad, but unfortunately it does not reach the so-bad-it’s-good category. Worse than being exploitative, it’s just stupid and not very entertaining.
Episode: #90 (April 2, 2006)