Meatballs Part II

Granted, after having sat through the 1979 "Meatballs" movie, then I didn't really have much of any expectations or hopes for the 1984 sequel "Meatballs Part II", but still, I did sit down to watch it.

Actually, and oddly enough, then I was actually more entertained with this 1984 sequel than I was with the 1979 original "Meatballs" movie. Yeah, odd, I know, right?

The storyline in this 1984 movie seemed more coherent and structured, whereas the storyline in the first movie seemed chaotic and made up as the director went along. So this coherency in this 1984 movie definitely added to the overall enjoyment of the movie.

However, this still wasn't a movie that really made me laugh, it got a few smiles here and there, but not making me laugh. Which was disappointed, especially since this is a comedy. And that fact makes me not want to return to watch "Meatballs Part II" a second time around.

The alien creature in the movie was actually some of the best parts of the entire movie, because it was so cheesy and campy.

The acting in the movie was adequate, taking into consideration the type of movie this is and the script presented to the actors and actresses. It was, however, a nice treat to see the likes of Richard Mulligan, John Larroquette and Paul Reubens in a movie such as this.

My rating of "Meatballs Part II" is a mere four out of ten stars.

"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.

To call this movie a sequel to MEATBALLS is stretching the word "sequel" to a ridiculous degree. Other than the fact that both movies take place at summer camps (not even the same one), there is no connection between the two. It's the usual 80's cable TV time filler, with a dumb script, mechanical direction and mostly one-note performances.

The only laughs are supplied by such great comic actors as Richard Mulligan, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), John Larroquette and Hamilton Camp. A subplot which parodies E.T. also managed to make me chuckle a few times.

The only other point of interest is seeing a twenty-year old Kim Richards in the lead female role. The little tomboy from ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN and NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN had grown into quite a hottie by 1984. Unfortunately, she leaves her clothes on.

If this comes on TV, it's not worth switching the channel. You'll probably laugh a few times, plus you can get up and go to the bathroom and not miss anything. At any rate, it's better than MEATBALLS PART III or (gag) IV.

Remember when we used to be satisfied to go the movies and watch bad actors from sitcoms strut around cheap sets and make dumb jokes? Well, if you were born anytime after 1980, you probably don't remember seeing any cheesy 80s flicks in their original context. Meatballs II doesn't claim to be anything other than one of these "campy" movies, so view it with a good attitude and watch to see what actors you recognize. I recently watched this movie for the first time in the 21st century (probably skipping all of the 90s) and, being a good ten years older and wiser, saw it as the bunch of foolishness it really is. However, it's an essential 80s flick full of outdated costumes and corny exercise music. I still have yet to hear anyone use the expression "pinky" in this context. The opening scene still has me rolling on the floor.

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.