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Basic Instinct 2 (Uncut Version) [2006]


RRP: £19.99
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Despite its inevitable fate as a critically reviled box-office flop, Basic Instinct 2 sure has a funny way of holding your attention. It's not just Sharon Stone's trash-talk and occasional nudity that keeps you watching, but also the way she gamely earns every cent of her $14 million paycheck, vamping like a real pro in her second outing as mystery novelist and alleged serial killer Catherine Tramell. Now living in London, Catherine sets her lethal sights on Michael Glass (David Morrissey), the control-freak psychiatrist assigned to evaluate her as a risk-addicted suspect in the "accidental" killing of a star soccer player. Turns out Catherine's just getting started (or is she?), and that's bad news for Glass's ex-wife, a tabloid journalist, and the Scotland Yard detective (David Thewlis) who's desperate to put Catherine in jail. With plenty of sex, murder and salacious dialogue, BI2 is certainly never boring, especially with the morbid fascination of seeing the once formidable Stone torpedo her career in a sequel that took 14 years (and countless drafts of screenplays and at least one high-profile lawsuit) to bring to the screen. She's still impressively hot at age 47, prompting critic Roger Ebert to observe, "the Catherine Tramell role cannot be played well, but Sharon Stone can play it badly better than any other actress alive." So, while this ill-fated sequel falls just short of being a guilty pleasure (if only because Morrissey is no match for Michael Douglas in the 1992 original), it's enjoyably absurd and slickly produced, and the hot-tub scene is guaranteed to wear out the freeze-frame function on a lot of DVD players. For some viewers, that's reason enough for multiple viewings.-- Jeff Shannon


Basic Stink, too
Review date: 2008-10-12 Rating: 2 out of 10

When faced with pinpointing the worst movie I've seen this decade, I don't have to look further than the truly atrocious Basic Instinct 2, which was as awful as most film writers predicted it would be. I was never a fan of the original, but at least it felt like a real Hollywood film, with an A-list leading man, a believably seedy location, and a director who at least knew how to shoot a sex scene. This sequel was painful viewing, with a cast of quite-respected British actors muddling their way through a story that wouldn't have passed muster as one of Shannon Tweed's bone-headed Body Chemistry-style efforts (which were of course all produced in the wake of the original Basic Insinct). In fact, with its London locations and nearly all-British cast, the whole thing felt like one of those contrived, dour ITV1 Sunday night thrillers. Watching thesps who love themselves, like Charlotte Rampling and David Thewlis, try their hand at this half-baked junk was good for a few laughs, but otherwise the film was a complete waste of time. David Morrissey was completely out of his depth opposite Sharon Stone, who hammed it up to the nines in a desperate bid (like Meg Ryan in In The Cut and Demi Moore in Charlie's Angels 2) to resurrect her career by showing everyone that she's still fabulously sexy. But what was the worst thing about Basic Instinct 2? When you watch a film like this, you do it for one reason: to see plenty of raunchy sex scenes. And this film had practically none. The `big' sex scene between Morrissey and Stone in the middle of the film was obviously (and pointlessly) trimmed down to about 20% of its original length, and aside from an early scene in which Morrissey has a little fun with Judge John Deed's daughter, the film was practically devoid of any other decent `action'. And this is the supposedly `uncut' DVD version!

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Reviews


excellent
Review date: 2008-06-06 Rating: 8 out of 10

really good thriller thats been unfairly slammed by the critics,i think this an absolute treat and worth picking up

This "one of the WORST movie of the year" wasn't too bad
Review date: 2007-06-23 Rating: 6 out of 10

For some reason I can't totally dismiss the film. As unimaginative as it was, I still had a blast with it. Sharon Stone may be 48 but carries herself very well. I admire her for having the balls to try and pull this one off. And guess what? She kind of does and still has some sex appeal left even at nearly half a decade. Her voice is lower, she has to wear a lot of make-up, but Catherine Tramell is still in there begging to come out. She still looks better than half the stars in Hollywood half her age, and reigns as the "Queen of Mean" (maybe even more so after hearing what all she's done after being famous). Catherine's new fixation with auto-erotic asphyxiation is simply a vanity project for Stone which she holds on to very well.

As crazy as this sounds, I did have a hard time buying a shrink would fall for her. But then again in the first installment, why would a homicide detective? David Morrisey as Dr. Andrew Glass looks good, but at times would look sort of stiff in some of his frames looking like he was trying to get into character. David does all he can to make sure his character is more subtle than the cocksure Michael Douglas San Francisco detective from the original. It's a more restrained journey, but he's English and a psychologist. In a way it's a nice contrast to the first. I also wondered how in the world did they get Charlotte Rampling and David Thewlis? They both turn in their usual fine performances providing exactly what the script demands of them.

It very well may be a hoot to call it "the worst film of the year" or "top pick for a Razzie", but in the final analysis it mildly entertained me and kept my attention on other affairs. "Basic Instinct 2" is still a fun adult erotic thriller that is not as great as the first, but not nearly as bad as Stone's turn in the Halle Berry "Cat Woman" flick. Because at least there she looks good, and happy to be back on silver screen. You might still follow your instincts and try to not see/buy this disc but I would simply recommend this movie as a rental unless you really need this add-on to your collection.


Hilarious
Review date: 2007-06-07 Rating: 10 out of 10

One for the so-bad-it's-good pile, this is a great laugh to watch with a couple of mates and a few beers. The utter ridiculousness of it all beggars belief at times, and there's dialogue that even Nicholas Cage would be ashamed of.

How do you picture it?
Review date: 2007-04-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

I watched and loved the very first Basic Instinct (who could forget the infamous scene where Sharon Stone flashes her err... pork pie?) and looked forward to watching this one. I was NOT disappointed. I was a bit concerned when I heard English accents instead of American ones and my first impression was "why is it in London?" but once I got over that and into the movie I loved it. It's pretty much the same theme as the first one with Sharon Stone looking even more hot to death today than she did back then (I couldn't get over her eyebrows in the first one - how can someone seriously seduce someone with those eyebrows???). Like the first one, there is a memorable scene where Sharon Stone pulls up a chair and sits on it backwards then talks total filth to the leading man. In short, this film is amazing. End of!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Charlotte Rampling
David Morrissey
David Thewlis
Sharon Stone
Hugh Dancy

Creators:
Sharon Stone (Primary Contributor)
David Morrissey (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Entertainment in Video
Manufacturer: Entertainment in Video
EAN: 5017239193835
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-08-07
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 111 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: English (Original Language)

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