CITY SLICKERS II: “THE LEGEND OF CURLY’S GOLD” (Directed by Paul Weiland. Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig)

It is once again around the campfire, as three city types (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Jon Lovitz, the latter replacing Bruno Kirby who refused to come back for more of the same) find themselves on horseback in the western wilderness. One of those sequels that feels duty-bound to recreate all the elements that made the original successful, City Slickers II has even found a part for Jack Palance, whose character died in the original (and picked up a supporting actor Oscar for his pains). Well if they could bring Spock back from the dead for Star Trek IV, why not Jack Palance, who already looks like a walking corpse? The laws of nature have got nothing on the rules of the box office.

It is just this kind of unimaginative adherence to formula that ensures sequels fall victim to their own law of diminishing returns. Just try telling the same joke to the same audience twice in a row and see if the laughter increases or diminishes.

Change, of a sort, is forced upon City Slickers II, however. The original was a fish out of water (or more specifically a commuter on horseback) comedy, and the substance beneath the humour was a well-observed mid-life crisis, resolved by the characters getting in touch with their feelings. But hey, now Billy Crystal can ride, he got over his mid-life crisis and he got in touch with all of his feelings already, so what is there left for him to do?

How about, go on a treasure hunt? City Slickers II is a simplistic, Indiana Jonesish adventure crossed with the character comedy of the original. Producer, co-writer and star Crystal goes through his usual, value-for-money act, but it is all a little too slick, and it has already been stretched too thin. There is a sketchy attempt to make it a comedy about greed, like Treasure Of The Sierre Madre played for laughs, but even this is scuppered by the greedy rationale behind the whole enterprise: how can we milk this cash cow some more?