[.ca] Cruel Intentions/Cruel Intentions 2 [2 Discs] (Full Screen)

From Amazon.com:
Cruel Intentions This modern-day teen update of Les Liaisons Dangereuses suffered at the hands of both critics and moviegoers thanks to its sumptuous ad campaign, which hyped the film as an arch, highly sexual, faux-serious drama (not unlike the successful, Oscar-nominated Dangerous Liaisons). In fact, this intermittently successful sudser plays like high comedy for its first two-thirds, as its two evil heroes, rich stepsiblings Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), blithely ruin lives and reputations with hearts as black as coal. Kathryn wants revenge on a boyfriend who dumped her, so she befriends his new intended, the gawky Cecile (Selma Blair), and gets Sebastian to deflower the innocent virgin. The meat of the game, though, lies in Sebastian's seduction of good girl Annette (a down-to-earth Reese Witherspoon), who's written a nationally published essay entitled "Why I Choose to Wait." If he fails, Kathryn gets his precious vintage convertible; if he wins, he gets Kathryn--in the sack. When the movie sticks to the merry ruination of Kathryn and Sebastian's pawns, it's highly enjoyable: Gellar in particular is a two-faced manipulator extraordinaire, and Phillippe, usually a black hole, manages some fun as a hipster Eurotrash stud. Most pleasantly surprising of all is Witherspoon, who puts a remarkably self-assured spin on a character usually considered vulnerable and tortured (see Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Liaisons). Unfortunately, writer-director Roger Kumble undermines everything he's built up with a false ending that's true to neither the reconceived characters nor the original story--revenge is a dish best served cold, not cooked up with unnecessary plot twists. --Mark Englehart Cruel Intentions 2 There's a reason you haven't heard of this straight-to-video "sequel" to the seamy teen romp that had Ryan Phillippe baring his polished behind: it's twice as bad as the first one and is only worth a look to see just how embarrassing it can get. Writer-director Roger Kumble's original was no classic, Lord knows, but at least the game, nubile cast knew how to smack its lips--his follow-up (which, in tamer form, was to be the pilot for a proposed series called Manchester Prep) can't even pout properly. Phillippe's Sebastian character (here played by a bland, doughy Robin Dunne) is carted back out to be reintroduced to scheming stepsister Kathryn, enacted by a woefully unsexy Amy Adams (Sarah Michelle Gellar played Sebastian's ripe cousin in the first film). The two don't hit it off, and Sebastian--far more sentimental than his big-screen counterpart--immediately decides he's all for love, in the form of pristine deb Danielle (Sarah Thompson). It all amounts to a ponderously cartoonish nothing, including a twist ending that renders everything proceeding it completely incomprehensible. Kumble has the film spouting homilies on love and self-esteem, then randomly throws in bare breasts; it's like a horny Saved by the Bell, without the kick or pacing of good camp. --Steve Wiecking

Such a bad movie they made a second!:
The first movie was full of hammy and snobbish acting. Perhaps it was the point of the first movie to just be rude and awkward because the plot of this movie is that a boy bets his step sister that he can sleep with the new girl on campus. This is not an original plotline, but the added twist is that if the boy sleeps with this new girl, as part of the bet the step sister will give herself to her step-brother. Take that for what its worth. There was a good crop of rookie actors in the first movie, but then the second movie is not worth it at all. It was a B movie... which is why it went straight to video. If your a frustrated teen boy, you will love this movie for its sexual content. Otherwise, it is greatly overacted and over dramatic.

Resplendence:
From the first time I watched the film Cruel Intentions, I was mesmerized. It instantly became one of my favorite movies of all time. With my heavy criticism, that is not an easy task to accomplish. This take on Choderlos De Laclos' Dangerous Liaisons is superb and, in my opinion, much better than the others (Valmont, Dangerous Liaisons). The cast of familiar faces made the movie brilliantly luminous and attractive to the eye. The wonderful script helped you easily spot the cruelty in Kathryn, naiveness is Cecile, smartness in Annette, and manipulation in Sebastian. I recommend this movie to ever person who has a brain. Now .. on the other hand, Cruel Intentions 2 was horrid. Why did they have to have a sequel?! The no-name actors were terrible, the script seemed to be a childish version of the first with watered down lines, and some of the lines were even repeated. For that matter, some scenes were basically repeated. For instance, the first begins in Dr. Greenbaum's (therapist) office. The second, in the principals. They both talk about basically the same things, and when Sebastian exits the room they both insult him using one word. See what I mean? My five-star rating was given to Cruel Intentions (1); the good version; the best movie. I give a humongous zero to Cruel Intentions 2, and Manchester Prep (the t.v. show with the actors from the second movie..) - S t e p h e n - Ps: I only wrote a review to the two-dvd package because that was the only way to have it seen. ;\c

Manuvering and Mundame...:
I suppose as a 'teen' movie, and in comparison to other teen movies, Cruel Intentions could be seen as a 4 star flick, especially when you consider the above average acting of it's a-list cast. Cruel Intentions, however didn't do anything except bore me. Obviously the actors cannot be blamed. The plot and direction (or lack thereof) is what seriously stunts this film. This is an R-rated movie. Why it was dumbed-down to the degree that it was baffles me. Cruel Intentions could have been far more vindictive, sexual, and ultimately more entertaining (and given the ending much more weight in any event), if the director had spun it in a more coherent way. Alas, this movie falls completely flat on it's face. I found it neither funny, romantic or engaging - or naughty enough to keep me interested. The only good swing in this movie is that in the end, both characters get what they deserve. There are a lot of things that could be made into a movie. Why this book was ever made into a movie I'll never know. - Louis

Cruel intentions:
I loved the first movie (big fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar). The rest of the cast was also great in their roles. The basic plot is that Sebastian and Catherin are step siblings and they have wanted to ahve sex but know they can't (family reasons), so they make a bet that if Sebatian can sleep with Annette (the headmaster's daughter) that he will sleep with Catherine, and if he can't sleep with Annette, Catherine will get his car. The movie takes off from there and it is a great film for a Friday/Saturday night! The second one, while great for a laugh (horrible acting, the actors do not even resemble the original cast) and it was cut from the series that they were going to make of the movie (Manchester Prep, never aired). I will give it five stars (not going to punish it because of the prequel)

Best Intentions:
This movie is amazing!! I loved it. I watch it every chance I get.