Movie Review: 'The Babysitter 2: Killer Queen'
Director: McG
Cast: Judah Lewis, Emily Alyn Lind, Jenna Ortega, Robbie Amell, Andrew Bachelor, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Samara Weaving, Ken Marino, Leslie Bibb
Plot: Cole is older, but left traumatised by his run-in with a satanic cult. Then he has a run in with a satanic cult.
Review: I didn't like The Babysitter. I was left with the distinct impression that the creators like Quentin Tarantino movies and Edgar Wright movies but couldn't articulate why, so they skinned those movies and wore their faces like a mask. Except not scary. The only thing I learned by watching the original film was finding out who Bella Thorne is, and that I didn't much like her.
When the sequel turned up...I don't know why I watched it. It's not very good.
McG has taken on more of the creative roles in this sequel, making it his fault. Instead of Tarantino and Wright, it's Wright and Wes Anderson with the latter being forced down our throats. The 16 year old main character dresses exactly like Wes Anderson. Not a Wes Anderson character...Wes Anderson the person. But it's like a parrot swearing at you...they've copied the noises but don't know why. All of McG's energy must've been focused on being hip because he simply rewrote the first film, complete with the characters who died in that movie.
There's also reason to suggest that they could only get Samara Weaving for a small window of the production because they turned the love interest from the other movie in Samara Weaving. She's got a very similar look and delivers her style of dialogue. Not it matters who says what, as writing takes second place to stunt casting social media stars. It takes a full half hour to get to anything that feels like a horror movie. That kind of set-up is fine in an original, but this is a sequel. We know what we're getting in to, and we don't like the Red Shirt characters we're stuck with.
In addition to the bad writing is the stupid writing. At one point the main kid (I didn't learn their names, I don't care) and his new love interest make out and we're treated to a disco sequence. Just in case the subtle symbolism doesn't land, they dance to 'Tonto, Get On It'. Then edit in a bunch of suggestive scenes of train tunnels and corn dogs and rocket launches. Five minutes later it's a big twist that they had sex. Because we were too dumb to remember the "symbolism".
Robbie Amell was funny though. I like the running gag of him always being shirtless and sincerely supportive of the kid standing up for himself. He helps.
But this movie is lazy, cheap and dull.
Rating: ONE out of TEN
Robbie Amell gets one star.
