The original film featuring the character who originated from sketches on Saturday Night Live was a great success, I had always known there was a sequel, but it took me a long time to get to watching it, I was guessing it wouldn't be as good, but I was willing to try it. Basically, in Aurora, Illinois, best friends and rock music fans Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) continue to host their public-access television show, Wayne's World, from Wayne's new home. Wayne, Garth and two of their co-workers attend an Aerosmith concert, where Wayne and Garth have backstage passes to meet the band (including Steven Tyler as himself). They meet up with Wayne's girlfriend Cassandra Wong (Tia Carrere), vocalist and bassist of the band Crucial Taunt. She introduces them to her new producer, Bobby Cahn (Christopher Walken), but despite having passes the duo are denied further access backstage. Later, Wayne talks about how people are telling him he needs to find focus in his life. That night, Wayne has a dream in which a Weird Naked Indian (Larry Sellers) leads him into a desert where he meets Jim Morrison (Michael A. Nickles), lead singer of The Doors. Morrison convinces Wayne that his destiny is to organise a major music festival. Wayne tells Garth about this dream, and they try to make it a reality. They talk to Cassandra and Bobby about a proposed concert, which they dub "Waynestock" (a pun on "Woodstock"). Trying to impress Bobby, they claim that they will be able to get great rock bands to play at the concert, such as Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, and Van Halen, who Wayne mentions off the cuff. The festival takes a back seat when Wayne is invited by Cassandra to meet her father, Jeff Wong (James Hong), and he must prove himself. Wayne and Mister Wong battle each other, while dubbing themselves, in a style resembling classic Kung Fu movies. Wayne proves himself to be a worthy warrior but does not earn full respect from Mister Wong. Wayne and Garth start their journey for the concert travelling to England (with two actors shot from the back pretending to be them). After exploring the sights, they find former roadie, Del Preston (Ralph Brown), who has retired from organising concerts and is reluctant to help them, until he hears Wayne mention Jim Morrison in his dream. Returning to the USA, the duo and Preston are unable to sign up any of the bands they have in mind, and tickets for this proposed event are failing to sell; Wayne wonders if the endeavour is futile. Meanwhile, Cassandra may be getting closer to Bobby who wants to have her move to Los Angeles. Wayne becomes suspicious of Bobby's ulterior motives and spies on them while they are having lunch. Wayne is spotted by them and flees with Garth and their friends while Bobby gives chase. Wayne, Garth and their friends evade Bobby in a gay club and, being in the costumes, inadvertently get onstage and do an impromptu performance of "Y. M. C. A" by the Village People. Wayne later admits spying on Cassandra, in anger she breaks up with him and becomes engaged to Bobby. Wayne becomes more determined to make Waynestock a success hoping to win Cassandra back. Meanwhile, Garth is in the laundrette and meets a beautiful woman named Honey Hornée (Kim Basinger) who appears to be attracted to him. In fact, she is manipulating Garth into killing her ex-husband, so Garth ends the relationship. Tickets are sold for Waynestock, but no bands arrive. Garth is left to keep the rowdy crowd in check, while Wayne disrupts Cassandra's wedding before leaving the ceremony with her and they get back together, in a scene closely resembling the finale of The Graduate. Meanwhile, Garth has stage fright during the concert and the crowd grows impatient. Wayne returns to find the bands have still not arrived. In another desert dream, Wayne and Garth meet with Morrison, who says that the bands will not come, and that all that matters is that they tried. Unable to return to Waynestock, they become lost in the desert and die of starvation. Dissatisfied with this ending, Wayne and Garth re-enact the ending of Thelma & Louise, driving their car off a cliff. Still unsatisfied, they restart again and just have to end the film with a standard happy ending. The bands arrive, and Waynestock is a success. Morrison tells Wayne that he needed to organise Waynestock to learn that Cassandra loves him for who he is. Wayne also learns that adulthood requires one to take responsibility while being able to find fun in life. Bobby arrives to Waynestock to find Cassandra, but he is prevented from entering. In a mid-credits scene, the entire park is covered with trash after the concert. The "weird naked Indian" begins to cry but is relieved when Wayne and Garth offer to clean up. Also starring Chris Farley as Milton, Rip Taylor as himself, Lee Tergesen as Terry, Dan Bell as Neil, Heather Locklear as herself, Bob Odenkirk as Concert Nerd, Robert Smigel as Concert Nerd, Kevin Pollak as Jerry Segel, Olivia d'Abo (Maryam's cousin) as Betty Jo, Drew Barrymore as Bjergen Kjergen, Harry Shearer as Handsome Dan, Ted McGinley as Mr. Scream, Tim Meadows as Sammy Davis, Jr., Jay Leno as himself, Al Hansen as Bad Actor, and Charlton Heston as Good Actor. Myers and Carvey still make a good double act as the teenage moron buddies, Walken is reasonable as the sort-of villain trying to steal the girl, Carerre is fine, Basinger looks gorgeous playing sexy, and the cameos from Aerosmith, Barrymore, Heston and Taylor are welcome. The humour again relies on "dude speak", and the attempts of satirical and sight gags, while the soundtrack is just about catchy enough, it doesn't feel as fresh and funny as the predecessor, but it's a relatively amusing comedy. Worth watching!
Review of Wayne's World 2
