Basic Instinct 2 (2006) Movie Review, Trailer, and Poster

U.S. 2006
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Cast: Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, David Thewlis, Stan Collymore, Hugh Dancy, Charlotte Rampling
Rating: R
Release Date: March 31st 2006
Running Time: 1 hour 54 minutes

The Movie Review

Whoa.... I almost forgot that there was Basic Instinct the first. No, just kidding :-). But I hope so after seeing the sequel. Basic Instinct 2 finally released after fourteen years of waiting (a waiting that turns indifferent). It's still headlined by the now-aging Sharon Stone with her deadly charming persona, or so they say, which I think it becomes pathetically irrational.

Sharon Stone roles as Catherine Trammel, a novelist and a mysterious woman with an even more mysterious way of thinking. She has moved to London and again got arrested for an alleged murder of her love partner. Detective Roy Washburn


BASIC INSTINCT 2
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

(David Thewlis) sends a professional psychiatrist Dr. Michael Glass (David Morrissey) to investigate Catherine psychological condition and determine whether she is sane or not. The hunter becomes the hunted when Catherine decides to play mind games in her seductive and lusty ways on Michael. Initially strong, Michael is now bewildered and lost his analytical skill to differentiate right from wrong.

Mediocre movies often share their flaws and asset evenly, but Basic Instinct 2 is tilted more to the flaws side. I know some of you who have already seen the first one must be curious to see the sequel, and so did I. And I am pretty sure too that some of you must have thought that the sequel must be awful. Sorry to say, you're right. They still use Sharon Stone who is--I'm sorry--not that attractive anymore plus the story is just plain stupid.

This movie is somehow function as Sharon's Shrine, and that everything is about Sharon Stone. Recalling the acting of Stone, she talks and walks like she has never been acted before, it's like implying "Look at me, I'm still sexy", I also got the feeling that the rest of the cast is just trying to get along and serve nothing but as Stone's Babysitters. Is it the actors or the characters I don't know, but it's just tiresome to see a guy could be that stupid in making decisions. The major asset of Basic Instinct 2 is ironically Sharon Stone herself who fails to deliver the needed persona in this era.

The good side is the musical score used in Basic Instinct 2 is the same kind of music that many erotic thriller movies used to employ back in the 80s and early 90s. At least it still retains some memory of the past. But if that's not amusing to your ears, then there isn't any valuable point in Basic Instinct 2.

The punch line of this sequel, the ending scene implies that there will be another entry in the Basic Instinct franchise. The filmmakers have a lot of homework to be done then.

Spoiler Possibility Alert:
The ending doesn't tell you precisely who's dunnit, who's wrong or right, you just have to figure it out yourself. Bummer..., Bad mystery movie with no crystal-clear conclusion, just what I need to donate my money to the theater. Man!

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com