Meatballs: Part II (1984)
The second in-name-only sequel to the first Meatballs summer camp movie sets us at Camp Sasquash where the owner Giddy tries to keep his camp open after it's threatened with foreclosure after Hershey, the militant owner of Camp Patton located just across the lake, wants to buy the entire lake area to expand Camp Patton. Giddy suggests settling the issue with the traditional end-of-the-summer boxing match over rights to the lake. Meanwhile, a tough, inner city punk, nicknamed Flash, is at Camp Sasquash for community service as a counselor-in-training where he sets his sights on the naive and intellectual Cheryl, while Flash's young charges befriend an alien, whom they name Meathead, also staying at the camp for the summer.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Sorry, this movie sucks
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
"I have an idea" someone said, "lets make a sequel to Meatballs and have it be completely moronic and groan inducing!". After the movie was made and released the person said "dude, I was making a joke". And so Meatballs 2 was made and while it is in fact about a summer camp and more of a sequel to the original than the third one is, I still think this one is the worst of the bunch. Granted a few jokes make me chuckle which is why I nicely gave this movie a three rather than a one or two. The plot? Why bother, it involves some dude who does not want to be a counselor, an alien, and a brawl for it all boxing match between two summer camps, one regular and a military type one. That is the gist of it, and if you are wondering, yes the alien is friendly and probably inserted thanks to the success of E.T. two years prior. Bill Murray is not in this movie and can you blame him, while they made this movie he was making Ghostbusters. Instead they got Richard Mulligan, who I like in some roles, not this one. They also begin easing this series of movies into more of a teen sex series, but only lightly in this one.
Okay, so this movie isn't great but its a good way to waste a rainy summer day. That's how I ended up seeing it. To be truthful, I thought there would be a lot more nudity and sex. The box for the movie shows a shower scene that isn't in the movie. The box also features a picture of the busty Fanny, played by Misty Rowe. That was the most interesting story line: Two horny Councelors trying to get it on. It was only later on that I found out that Misty Rowe isn't nearly as top heavy as Fanny. Well, I'll always have Meatballs Part II to keep the dream alive. There was a lot of potential, but instead we had aliens and a stupid boxing match. Good lines, and okay women. It's worth a look.
Meatballs 2 has nothing to do with the first Meatballs and does not have a strong lead like Bill Murray. Actually it doesn't seem to have any lead actor which to me is the film's main flaw. As other IMDb critics have noted, the opening scene was funny with Paul Reubens as the bus driver. He is very talented and one of the best reasons to rent the film. Kim Richards is also very good and does a great job with her part. The aerobics outfit she wears looks like a bathing suit so I can see why men everywhere go gaga over that scene. The film is basically about how a junior boot camp across the river tries to eliminate the kiddie camp run by Coach Giddy (Richard Mulligan). Mulligan is good but his script is very weak. He doesn't even touch the surface of the hilarity Bill Murray brought to the first Meatballs. The part of Flash by John Mengatti could also have been improved with a better script. Flash isn't nice to the kids and I never warmed up to him. Overall, the film has some funny scenes and the 1980s clothes and music provide some entertainment on a rainy day.
Kim Richards is HOT! so I mean its worth getting out if your a guy just for her. The Alien is cute and you get a few laughs. The two heads of camp are very annoying and everything goes quite slow. Go rent it out if your bored theres worse movies out there.