No.9 : Wayne’s World 2 (1993)

Wayne's World 2 at the IMDb



Reviewing the sequel before the original? Yes, that’s the kind of crazy thing you can expect from the Top 100 ‘W’ films countdown. Well I had it handy.



This film takes place a year after the original with Wayne and Garth are still doing their TV show while Cassandra’s pop career is taking off thanks to her sleazy producer, Bobby (Christopher Walken). Wayne is visited in a dream by a naked Indian and Jim Morrison, and is persuaded to put on a rock concert, Wayne Stock.



After a visit to England to recruit the world’s best roadie, the boys have to sort out their women problems as well as sign up some bands for the show.



Although the plot is thin I prefer this film to the original despite it getting a lower rating on the IMDb. It’s probably because it hits the ground running, without the need for a lot of explanation and characterization. There are a lot of good set pieces from the off and, as you’d expect, the pop culture references flow thick and fast. The best bits for me were the Village People set up and the extended scene where Wayne and Cassandra’s father argue, first in sub titles and then in bad dubbing.



As with any successful sequel the celebrities are lined up for a showcase and I certainly wasn’t complaining to see hot babes Kim Basinger and Drew Barrymore strut their stuff. As well as that foursome you also get Mr Show’s Bob Odenkirk as a nerd and Al Bundy reprising his role as the diner manager.



The most memorable scene for me is the one where a rubbish actor is wheeled off and replaced with the late, great Charlton Heston - tear to the eye stuff indeed. Here he is forever young. Well alive anyway.





Of course there is no threat or danger in the film, no ticking clock you’d worry about or any chance things won’t end up just right. What you do get is a series of funny sketches and cameos stapled onto the barest bones of a story. Excellent throwaway entertainment that Mike Myers' more recent work, such as the risible ‘The Love Guru’, can only dream of.



Best Bit : I once knew a girl on Gordon Street…



‘W’ Rating : 18/23