Sister Act 2 : Back in the Habit

We are in the season of sequels and it was only obvious that when Sister Act was playing on Star Movies, the next movie that followed was Sister Act 2 : Back in the Habit. A back to back exhibition of classic acting and comic timing from a class actress – one of the few ladies who have a natural flair for comedy and ace their part of the deal every single time that they come on it. But this time around it is directed by Bill Duke – who would probably be best known for his roles as an actor and not the ones behind the camera. Remember the guy who plays Mac in the Arnie starrer Predator? The big African American guy? If not then maybe you would remember the guy Cooke from Commando? Well it would seem that he is a director as well. Well whaddya know!!!! He has about 5-7 full length features to date but a bulk of his work behind the camera has come from Television and you can add his name to the long list of people who probably haven’t made the transition quite well from small screen to big screen – especially as directors. Duke probably got his chance with Sister Act 2 thanks to Emile Ardolino (the director of Sister Act 1) kicking the bucket sometime in 1993 (the year of its release). Guess he got a bit lucky i.e. Duke.
This time around, Deloris Van Cartier or should we say Sister Mary Clarence (Whoopi Goldberg) is not running away from anyone or anything. She is just basking in her success as the nun who got a gangster into jail and then made it big as a show singer in Vegas. She is now immensely successful and well written about. So money is no longer a problem. But the sisters want her back. They want her to come back with them to a school that they have started and pay back to society by teaching music. They want to use Deloris’s excellent capabilities to rally people around her in the noble profession of teaching bright but extremely rowdy children in a school that is probably going to be shut really really soon. Reluctantly Deloris agrees to don the habit once again. Needless to say, it’s a roller coaster of sorts after that happens.

Sister Act 2 however doesn’t manage to recreate the magic that the first part does so very well. Whether it was due to change of director or a story line that was OK or because it released the very next year of the first part releasing one can never tell but it may just about be a combination of all of these points. Sister Act 2 marks the debut of a couple of stars in Hollywood - Lauryn Hill & Jennifer Love Hewitt both of whom go on to be reasonably successful in tinsel town. The fun moments are however quite limited this time around. Which is probably the reason it gets a rating that is a tad lower that the first part. 5.5 on 10 from my side.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80E5KTjvmA