Rish Outfield's reviews
This was a truly great sequel. While not as fresh and original as the its predecessor, Scream 2 offers us well-developed characters who we feel we know. Sidney, Randy, Dewey, Gale--the survivors from the first film--have all changed and grown, and are fun to watch. Very few of the new characters are as compelling, but hey, that's one of the best things about sequels: the history we have with the characters and situations. Cooly, had you not seen Scream, you may find yourself entirely lost in Scream 2. It takes bravery to do something like that, and it paid off. This film is scarier than the original, and probably funnier. The revelation at the end doesn't pack the same punch as did the first one, but Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven are to be congratulated for a worthy follow-up to what's-soon-to-be a classic. To those who say it doesn't measure up to the original, it's like Leonardo DaVinci's girlfriend asking him "NOW what are you going to give me?"
Best Scare: Sidney and Hallie slipping out the window of the police car.
I'd Recommend It To: Everyone who has seen the first film, even if they didn't like it.

The tyranist's thoughts
"Sequels are by definition inferior." Unfortunately, I agree with that statement in this case as well as many others. But it is worse by such a small degree that it almost isn't worth considering. I really loved this one as much as the first and only found it lacking in small places (like the fact of Cotton Weary). Williamson did an outstanding job of avoiding what seems to plague most horror sequel writers. He spent the time to make us care.