CITY SLICKERS II: THE LEGEND OF CURLY'S GOLD. Directed by Paul Weiland, written by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel; produced by Billy Crystal for Columbia. Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz and Jack Palance. Rated PG-13
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If you liked the first City Slickers, you'll probably like this one, too; only not as much.
The new movie has lots of witty dialogue and slapstick action. But what made the original more than just a sitcom was its combination of serious ideas (mid-life crises, the power of nature, etc.) with the silliness. City Slickers II starts out like it will do the same thing, this time with sibling relationships as the serious backdrop. But it never quite works out, and what we're left with is mostly just silliness.
This time New Yorker Mitch (Crystal) is suffering none of the problems he had before his last adventure. He does have one new one, though, in the person of a good-for-nothing younger brother Glen (Lovitz). Then he discovers what looks like a treasure map in the brim of the hat left to him by trail boss Curly in the first movie. Although he tries to talk himself out of it, we all know he will end up out west again, this time searching for a lost stash of gold.
Lovitz is a good addition to the cast. He and Crystal make an entertaining pair of brothers who share kinship without friendship. They have a serious scene or two to counterbalance the wisecracks, but it's not enough to develop Glen's character.
Stern returns as the hapless Phil, Mitch's friend with an instinct for disaster. He's a good physical comedian, but a little of him goes a long way, and we have almost too much of him here.
The most inventive and entertaining character in the first movie was Curly, played by Palance, with obvious relish, as a sinister-seeming cowboy with a heart of gold. He's replaced in the current film by Duke, Curly's long-lost twin. And while Duke's character doesn't have the mystery that surrounded Curly to delight us, he's still great fun to watch.
Except for one thing, City Slickers II would be a perfect movie for families with kids aged 6-12 or so. The kids would really enjoy the treasure-hunt plot and the physical gags, while their parents could savor the snappy dialogue. But unfortunately, this movie, like its predecessor, contains 'way too much sexually suggestive humor. Some of it is actually funny, but most is just silly and would not be missed at all. If the writers will take note for a third installment, they'll have a movie suitable for a much wider audience.
June 29, 1994