The Man from Snowy River II.

Review #1084: The Man from Snowy River II.

Cast: 
Tom Burlinson (Jim Craig), Sigrid Thornton (Jessica Harrison), Brian Dennehy (Harrison), Nicholas Eadie (Alistair Patton), Mark Hembrow (Seb), Bryan Marshall (Hawker), Rhys McConnochie (Patton Snr.), Peter Cummins (Jake), Cornelia Frances (Mrs. Darcy), Tony Barry (Jacko) Directed by Geoff Burrowes.

Review: 
Six years after the release of The Man from Snowy River (#032), a sequel was released, with a producer from the first film being the director this time around. It is known as Return to Snowy River in the United States and in the United Kingdom as The Untamed. The film was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures while having four companies behind it for production: Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners III, Burrowes Film Group, and The Hoyts Group. In any case, it is safe to say that the sequel hasn't suffered any sort of breakdown in vision or spirit; it isn't as good as the original, but it is at the very least moderately entertaining enough to satisfy some sort of need that the original achieved. Kirk Douglas decided to not return for the sequel after not being allowed to direct (he had directed two other films prior to this: Scalawag and Posse, released in the previous decade), with Dennehy taking over for the role of Harrison (with no dual role playing this time around), although at least the main two actors are back once again. Bruce Rowland returns to provide the music and Keith Wagstaff is back to provide the cinematography, both of which are just as good as before.

Like the first film, there is a good deal of Australian scenery to look at, and there is a decent amount of horse action that will certainly prove a bit satisfactory to people wanting those sort of things. However, the film isn't as good as the original in part because it doesn't have all the spirit that made the previous film a neat little gem. That's not to say that it is a bad movie or a disappointment because I found it to be a decent experience, but it is pretty evident that it could have been better. The problem is that the plot feels a bit more routine, particularly when it comes to the motivations of the villain and the parts with Harrison. Burlinson and Thornton prove fine for the challenge of keeping the romance from being stale, although it takes them nearly half of an hour to meet again (I note this for a film that lasts 110 minutes). Dennehy doesn't do terrible, but I find that he doesn't live up to the performance(s) that Douglas had done in the last one, not having enough intensity to really make me invest too much in the conflict for the movie. The rest of the cast is okay if not standard for what you'd expect, although it is amusing that there is even an adversary to begin with, reminding me of someone you'd see in a TV special, for better or worse. It moves an at average pace, but it won't prove boring nor tiresome to go through. The climax is certainly acceptable enough for enjoyment. Although I recognize its evident flaws, I find the movie to pass through on the elements that work fairly well, such as its scenery, action, and a frontier spirit that persists just enough to win out. The movie can prove entertaining for family audiences, and for people who dug the original, they will accept this one pretty well even if isn't as sweetly made as before.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.