I Still Know What You Did Last Summer


Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Brandy Norwood, Mekhi Phifer, Muse Watson, Bill Cobbs, Jennifer Esposito, Jack Black
Directed by: Danny Cannon
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: After surviving the hooked fisherman , Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is still struggling to get over the emotional turmoil. This has strained her relationship with Ray (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) Julie finds the perfect escape when her best friend (Brandy Norwood) and her boyfriend (Mekhi Phifer) win a trip to the Bahamas. The friends set out for a relaxing vacation, which soon turns deadly.

Review:

Tim: I surprisingly found some enjoyment in the first film, so I wasn't exactly dreading this movie. I genuinely believe Jennifer Love Hewitt makes a very good horror heroine, so I was excited to see her back on screen in that role. I was also optimistic about the new additions to the cast. Unfortunately, as with most sequels, this one drops in quality. Luckily, the drop wasn't precipitous, although it was signficant.

Once again, Hewitt does make a good heroine here. We generally are interested in her safety as she faces another mysterious murderer. She is mostly believable as she tries to first deal with the emotional toll of the events of the first film, and then, the shocking new events of this one. I thought she did a commendable job. Freddie Prinze, Jr. returns as well, although I wasn't as impressed with him. He is decent, but not spectacular at all. I could have done with him, or without him.

The movie also has some nice additions. Brandy Norwood is fairly good, replacing Sarah Michelle Gellar's other female role. Brandy isn't spectacular, but you don't need to be if your job is mostly to run around and looked scared. She brings some strength to the role, which I like. I also really liked the casting of Mekhi Phifer. I think he is a good actor, and I enjoy watching him on screen. Unfortunately, his character is just not that well developed, and as a result, he spends much of the movie looking like a stupid cliche. I didn't like his character, and he had so little to work with that his performance suffered as a result. Still, a movie with Phifer is better than one without. I appreciated Jennifer Esposito's small role, and I loved the uncredited appearance of Jack Black. He is over-the-top, but funny.

The first movie worked because it did enough to be different from Scream, the film that inspired it and the one it must be compared to. This movie seemed more like an effort to cash in on the first's film success. We don't get anything particularly new or interesting in this film, so it feels a bit redundant. I'm not convinced we needed this sequel.

Still, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer gives Hewitt a chance to run around scared, for us to have a few tense moments, and at least wonder who is responsible for the murders we see piling up. Plus, I like the change of scenery, bringing the horror to a tropical island. While the movie has a few good points, the majority of the movie is a letdown. I am thankful the franchise ended with this dud.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3