¡Dios mío! Parte II

If you are looking for "miracles," look no further than the fact that Hollywood managed to turn a superb, one-of-a-kind, hit film OH GOD into a 3-picture franchise before it sagged to the ground under its own weight and melted.

OH GOD (the original) is one of my favorite all time films.

It is a treasure. Not so this sequel.

OH GOD was poetry in motion. Not only a perfect script but possibly the best performances ever from George Burns, Teri Garr and John Denver. Never a dull moment, never a bad scene, never a line of bad dialog. It is a film you could see over and over.

OH GOD BOOK 2, which embarrasses itself right off the top by showing more writing credits than there are key positions on a football team, never once gets into gear. All that saves the film from infamy is an astonishing performance by a young actress credited only as "Louanne." Not only does this young lady have perfect timing, but she serially steals scenes from every other actor in the film including the master of timing himself, George Burns.

The kindest thing I could ever say about OH GOD BOOK 2 is, see the original.

Oh God! Book II is not really a sequel to the first film, as you might think. While George Burns returns as God, the events of the first film are not referenced at all. This is more of a remake of the first film....only three years later.....the plot is nearly identical, right down to the climax, but with a little girl taking over John Denver's old role.

While not a turkey, this film is disappointing, compared to the first one which was excellent. There are no new ideas that weren't used the first time, and for a "light-hearted" film, it is difficult to watch the persecution the child endures for standing up for God. Some of the supporting roles are interestingly cast, but these talented actors are given precious little to do.

I can understand George Burns wanting to return to the role of God, since the first one was so successful for him, but he should have held out for a better script.

All throughout history since time immemorial, there has been a conflict between religion and science (or I guess I should say between church and state). People who read the Bible believe in God and accept him and his teachings as a matter of simple Christian Faith. However, the scientists say "We need proof that we can put under our microscopes". I think it took a lot of courage for Hollywood to make the "Oh God" series and I thank them for it. George Burns and John Denver were wonderful in the original. It was one of the first movies that I saw as a kid and I couldn't think of a better one. George took the role of God very seriously, he even consulted with Jimmy Stewart and Orson Welles before he played it can you believe that? He asked them how you would play God (Orson Welles told him "I would play him sitting down"). This is a wonderful sequel. You might ask why God would come down to earth again, well when he did before he made the studio so much money thats why? A young actress with only one screen name Louanne takes John Denver's place in the film and she does a wonderful job. She was such a good little actress that I always wondered what happened to her. I'll bet she and George had a ball making this film, it shows in the finished product and there is wonderful "chemistry" between them. It kind of chilled me when they thought the little girl was crazy for talking to God and wanted to put her in an insane asylum. It chilled me and it also made me very angry at a society that is hostile towards religion and God's word. It is almost as if we live in a world that glorifies evil and condemns good. This is a film that is very rare indeed because it is one with a message that makes you think long after the final credits and it is due to George Burn's wonderful performance. This man was an American treasure. What really amazes me is that he didn't act in the traditional sense until he was almost 80 years old and made The Sunshine Boys. As far as I am concerned, all acting students should watch his work in that film and in the Oh God series. They will see a master at work. This is a rare sequel indeed, it is as fine as the original. It will leave you with a sore belly from laughing, but also with a slight lump in your throat.

My review written in September 1980 after watching the film in NY at WB's screening room: "Oh God! Book II" is not a sequel to the hit 1977 Warner Brothers release (which amassed $31,000,000 in domestic rentals) but rather an alternate approach to the same basic premise: what would happen if God were to appear to an ordinary person with instructions to "spread my message". Absence this time of John Denver, his chemistry with lead George Burns and the original's solid comedy material lead to a bland, unstimulating film.

Script, collectively credited to five writers, has a pleasant moppet (Louanne) meeting God (George Burns) in the lounge of a Chinese restaurant. It seems that Burns (heard pre-credits voicing over his problems with mankind on Earth) to enlist a child "with belief in things you can't see" to remind people that God is still around. Since Louanne's dad (David Birney) is an adman, she sets out to concoct a slogan which will "make God a household name". Burns' quaint program is to first win over the children and then get on with various environmental projects (e.g., fight pollution and cool off volcanoes).

Louanne recruits her cute Japanese playmate Shingo (John Louie) and other classmates to spread her "Think God" slogan via posters and graffiti. This leads to her suspension from school, and when she is seen talking to the invisible (to everyone but her) Burns, the child is brought before psychiatrists to be committed to an institution. Climax has Burns materializing as a literal deus ex machina to protect Louanne at the roundtable of shrinks.

Burns is fine again, a master of the throwaway line and well-suited to tone down the religious philosophy in the script. More screen time, however, is allotted to debuting Louanne, a pleasant and talented youngster who holds one's sympathy.

Suzanne Pleshette and David Birney as her estranged parents who reconcile before the final freeze-shot are effective in limited roles, with Pleshette's beauty and strong presence underutilized. Supporting parts are all well-limned.

Director Cates is hamstrung by the talky, largely unfunny script, which contains little dramatic content and only one scene involving physical action (Burns giving Louanne a motorcycle and sidecar ride). Except for recurring gags about "boobs" the mild script is too squeaky clean for the film's good. By not expanding upon the first film, "Oh God! Book II" is extraneous. Tech credits are routine.

The long and short of it: This is a soft reboot of 1977's 'Oh, God!' movie, an almost beat for beat remake of a better movie. I suggest you skip this movie and go straight to "Oh, God! You Devil!", despite it being a lower rated movie, at least it has a new spin on an old IP.