The Sandlot 2
Review by: Amanda
In this direct to video sequel, the original sandlot gang has grown up and moved on, with a new group of kids taking their place. The summer is 1972, and the younger brother of Scotty Smalls from the first film features as the narrator this time around. There are only five boys occupying the sandlot, until three liberated young women who enjoy softball make a play to use the diamond. After a brief playoff between their pitcher Hayley (Samantha Burton) and David Vincent Durango (Max Lloyd-Jones), this movie’s star player, they all agree to share the field. The fence behind the sandlot is gone now, but in its place is a stack of old appliances looking like something out of a junkyard, and a new legend of a mutant dog called “The Great Fear.” Something else, maybe more important than a signed baseball, but still, according to the other players, worth more than Smalls’ whole life, goes over the wall. And the movie plays out much like the original from that point on.
One thing this film has going for it is that it’s written by the same person who did the first movie. Of course, this is also a little bit of a downside. He holds on to the same fun and friendship vibe from the first film, but he reuses some of the exact same snatches of dialogue. Another thing it has going for it is the introduction of girls to the sandlot. There is a definite difference in tension amongst the players when girls, and girls who can play baseball at that, are added to the mix. It also means that the worst insult a boy can hear, “you play baseball like a girl,” takes on a whole new meaning for the kids that play together. A little bit of romance added in doesn’t hurt the story either. While some of the charm is lacking for fans of the original film, it is still enjoyable on its own.
