BASIC INSTINCT II

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Starring Sharon Stone, Michael Morrissey, David Thewlis, Charlotte Rampling. Action/Drama. Synopsis: Writer Catherine Trammell has moved to London, where her love of the dangerous adventure implicates her in the death of a soccer star, and introduces her to a troubled psychologist and an aggressive detective.

Well, here we go again with the sequels. Basic Instinct 2 was largely panned by critics, much of it coming even before the release of the movie. As always, I try to talk about remakes/sequels apart from the original, and stay away from things that really don't have to do with the movie itself (e.g., pretending that I'm offended that Sharon Stone is doing a nude scene at the age of 48, etc.)

I have to say, given the general negative buzz about this film, I am pleasantly surprised but pleased to say that it carried itself pretty well, in my opinion. The first thing that you have to come to grips with, if you are a fan of the original (and aren't we all) is that this is different film, you will only see Catherine Trammell (Stone) from the original, although there are some references to the first movie. Those of you who did not see Basic Instinct, or who have forgotten some of the plot points, don't worry, you will be able to follow and appreciate this one fully.

Stone is masterful in reprising her role as Catherine, even more sinister and wickedly seductive than she was in the first one. To me, this makes sense, as the movie is told in current time, e.g. its fourteen years later in the movie, too. 

The film starts out with a bang, no pun intended, as we see Catherine and her paramour speeding through the streets of London in a car that cost more than the average three bedroom home. And, well, while they are driving they are....enjoying each other. Well, no good deed goes unpunished and they soon swerve off the road into the drink (or did driver Catherine do it on purpose?)...as you might guess, she survives, he doesn't, the fit hits the shan, and soon Catherine is under suspicion throughout the whole of London as a suspected murderess who, in case you hadn't heard, also writes best selling novels about murders and had the habit of being around people who happened to die violently in San Francisco a few years back.

Well, the only way that old Cath is going to be considered for bail is after she is evaluated by a psychologist (David Morrissey). It also seems that there is a police detective (David Thewlis) who is particularly anxious to keep/put Catherine behind bars and makes no bones about the fact that he believes Catherine murdered before and will again.

Without being a spoiler, Catherine does make her bail, takes a shine, as they say, to David Morrissey, and people begin dying violently. But, as in the first movie, its not entirely clear who is the murder(ess). However, Catherine seems more on the edge here, even more enjoying of the suspicion cast upon her for the crimes, even as facts crop up that point the finger elsewhere, including the psychologist who is treating her and the detective who wants to see her behind bars.

As in the first Instinct, much of the killing happens off screen and none of what we do see involves Catherine. The plot is a little far fetched-as it was in the first one- and the ending will leave some of you hanging, with the possibility of the killer not being who we thought he/she was. Again, this is similar to the first one, but, for me, I thought it was clear who did the killing in that one, as well as this one.

As a strict comparison to the original, this comes in second best, but not by as much as you might be led to believe. Part of what made the original so good was that it was so different from anything that most of us had seen up until that point, and Sharon Stone bursting into the big time with that movie also helped considerably. In this one, although its clear that Morrissey is a fine actor, he doesn't have the star quality of Michael Douglass, who was really the star of the first one, though everyone (rightfully) thinks of it as Stone's movie. The changing of the setting from San Francisco to London didn't bother me at all; as far fetched as it would be that Catherine Trammell would still be running around free with all those dead bodies connected to her, it would have been even more far fetched-too much so for me-if they tried to have her still at home in San Francisco. Another city in another country works well here, and you will see a sleeker, sexier, more modern London than is usually portrayed in flicks intended primarily for American audiences.

The supporting cast is very good, particularly Thewlis as the do-whatever-it -takes cop and Charlotte Rampling as Morrissey's more experienced psychological mentor. On the negative side, the plot was a little choppy, with too much happening outside the story that we need to follow to fully appreciate the story we are seeing onscreen. Also, there is more skin and less implied than in the original, which may be hard to believe, but I think it was overdone in this case. There is a fine line between classically erotic and late night cable raunch.

On the whole, I can't see anyone who liked the first one, likes Sharon Stone, or likes psychological thrillers not finding something that they like about this movie. If you saw the original, you probably will still prefer it, but there should be room for a less appreciated but entertaining sequel, shouldn't there?