City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold

This one of the worst sequels I have ever seen. The script had about as much substance of an episode of "Gilligans Island" (minus the charm) I was insulted that as a avid moviegoer I had to sit thru this crap and expected to be as entertained like I was with the original film(which was a gem). All I can say is that the movie studio heads saw the $$$$$ the original made and thinking that another one would profit just as much,regardless if the script was good at all or not.

Uneven sequel has Billy Crystal, brother Jon Lovitz and close friend Daniel Stern hitting the old west one more time to find Curly's gold (Jack Palance from the first film). Naturally you can't have a "City Slickers" without Palance so this time he plays Curly's twin brother. The laughs seem forced and the good messages from the first are absent this time. The other colorful characters only make token appearances during the film's ridiculous final act. Bruno Kirby is missed here as well as Lovitz just does not feel right in this one. Fair overall. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I don't have a problem with sequels because many times I find them more appealing than the original. This is another example, although not a wide margin. The first was good; this is a little better.

Despite being almost two hours which is long for a comedy, this moves very fast. That's the selling point of the movie: it's entertaining. Not only do you get a comedy with a lot of laughs, you get brilliant Western scenery enhanced by the widescreen DVD.

The negatives, at least for me, was the all-too-secular outlook on life and an obsession with sex espoused by lead actor Billy Crystal and his clueless buddies Daniel Stern and Jon Lovitz and the unnecessary profanity by Jack Palance.

All the characters, however, are definitely fun to watch and there is a good message in the end about sacrificing for friends and relatives. The story also features a very neat twist at the end. This is a film you can laugh at with multiple viewings.

I found this film much more fun and fulfilling than the first because of the addition of Jon Lovitz to the base cast.

I realize this goes against common opinion, but I believe this installment was much better executed. The first movie, when compared to this sequel, feels like the main characters had something to prove to one another and not just to themselves where this chapter feels more self-motivated and "real," primarily to the addition of Jon Lovitz

One thing is for sure, without the City Slickers' version of the Criterion Brothers as ranch hands, it was definitely more enjoyable for me. The "danger" sequences were slim and short while maintaining a tall adventure.

Instead of using the first third of the movie to develop all the characters, they catch you up on Phil and Mitch and then lovingly introduce you to Glen. It left more time for the actual movie and less time for the "you must grow up to be a warrior" speeches and diatribes.

I loved it! Jon Lovitz is awesome!

It rates an 8.7/10 from...

the Fiend :.

"City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" brings back Billy Crystal as Mitch Robbins, and Daniel Stern as Phil Berquist, plus a new cast member: Jon Lovitz, playing Crystal's brother Glen.

Okay, so "Slickers II" isn't as funny as the first. I agree. However, I think it does have some laughs, and generates enough to recommend, especially if you are a fan of the original.

The basic plot of this film is that Crystal and pals find Duke (Jack Palance. Yes, I wrote Jack Palance. Read on for explanations) -- Curly's twin brother (See? Now it makes sense, right?) -- or rather, he finds them. After letting them in on a secret that there's buried treasure in a cave somewhere out in the yonder, and that Duke wants Crystal to help him find it, we're all geared up and ready for more City Slickers.

Really, the "plot" is just a worthless excuse to see familiar faces in a big Arizona desert. But, a lot of sequels have throwaway plots, and I think there's a bit of magic to this one. Of course it's contrived and silly, but it's like a bunch of little kids following a sketched treasure map. It's fun to watch, and brings back fond memories.

I recommend City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold. It's not great, but it's fun, and worth a few bucks on a Friday night.

3/5 stars-

John Ulmer