I Still Know What You Did Last Summer – Review

How does one take a few steps down from an already only so-so first film? Add a worse plot, splash in some logic gaps of course, all while maintaining the low intelligence of the characters and lack of humor. Also, pump your sequel out a year later, giving it no time to craft a worthy script.

Julie James (Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Prinze Jr.) are back. Julie has recurring bad dreams, and this new one wakes her up during her Poly Sci course. Will Benson (Settle) chases after her when she runs out of class. She is having trouble sleeping, and is close to failing. It’s almost a year after the horrific hook-hand 4^th of July killings, and a mental breakdown is nigh.

Ray runs into her and offers to help, but Julie isn’t into it. Her friend Karla (Norwood) visits her apartment to offer advice on boys, and invite her out to the club she works at. Karla’s man Tyrell (Phifer) tries to sweet talk his girl, bothering her on the clock. So, what happens to all these old and new characters?

Well, when Karla and Julie win a radio contest from Mark in the Morning on Magic 96.7, they get four tickets for an island getaway to the Bahamas. Score! All they had to do for it was answer a basic question, incorrectly. Off go the friends to a totally safe tropical adventure. Surely nothing can go wrong, other than Jack Black with dreadlocks.

While this film is not entirely unwatchable for fans of slashers and sequels, no one would miss anything not giving it a shot. There are some okay cast additions, but they don’t save the experience. The script is a weak point, but there are others also such as bad characters which place it pretty low on the fun scale. Watch it if you absolutely loved the first one, but even then, know that this chapter is below the bar that was set by the first. Logic and character action are definitely weak points, and you will probably get bored.

I have not seen the direct-to-video “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” which features a different cast, nor the short-lived TV series.