Why it's a good sequel.

There have been a lot of people bashing this movie on this board and I just needed to speak up and say why I liked this film so much and why it works as a good sequel.

The original film takes place in 1962, but reflected the attitude of the 1950s which was slowly fading away in the early 60s. The fast cars, the drive in diners, the radio, high school "hop" dances, etc.

This movie captured what happened as the 60s moved on and the new attitudes that came up to shape our world.

The characters we know and loved from the first film are intact here (with the exception of Curt who they briefly mention as living in Canada) and are given the opportunity to grow.

Terry "Toad" Fields who was such a lovable nebbish in the first film, does the most growing up here. When we see him for a bit in the 1964 Milner segments, he seems just like the Toad from the first film, naive, goofy and ready to fight for his country. By the time we get to his own segments in Vietnam 1965, he's already jaded by the war and wants to get the hell home. He's more world weary, not nerdy at all, and when it comes down to it, damn-right heroic when he saves his friend after Joe the Pharoah is killed. I was rooting for him the whole time as he staged his elaborate "death" and exploded *beep* all over that *beep* of a major.

Debbie seemed like the most likely candidate from the first film to get caught up in the drugs, sex and rock n roll culture of the 60s. In the first movie she was the one looking for "hard stuff" and she seemed to be into the fads of the time (fast cars, big hair, etc.). So it's totally conceivable that she would in fact become a stripper, bail her druggie boyfriend out of jail and join a rock band. The beauty of it is that she probably wouldn't have gone down that road if Toad hadn't joined the army. They probably would have gotten married by then, but such is life. And she does grow up by the movie's end, because she gets rid of the druggie boyfriend, ditches her life as a stripper and decides to do something with her life. We find out in the epilogue credits that she becomes a country western singer.

Steve & Laurie go through changes as well from their characters in the first film, but ones that stick pretty much well to how they behaved before. In the first film, Steve & Laurie were having problems in their relationship almost the entire time, most of it having to do with Steve's lack of direction and commitment in their relationship and in his life with going to college. In this film, Steve now has a career as an insurance agent, but still being stubborn he tells Laurie (in a very mid 60s male chauvanistic way) that she cannot get a job. This leads Laurie to go stay with her other brother who's in college and then they both get caught up in the college riot/draft dodging antics of the 60s. It's a great moment for both of them, because Laurie is able to stand up and declare her womanhood and Steve's able to realize (and he says this) that the world's problems makes his marriage problems seems so trivial in comparison.

Finally, there's Milner's car-racing segment. This segment clearly shows a guy who's aging that is wanting to hold onto the mood and values of a time he holds dearly (the events of the first movie). His crazy street racing in the first film becomes racing for money in this movie, but when it comes down to it all he really wants is love and he shows it for the first time in his life by caring for someone he can't even communicate with. It's so ironic since his character was so defined by his motor mouth. It's sad also because when he really does find love, it's right before his untimely death at the very end of the film.

Now everyone's entitled to an opinion, but the main point that people keep arguing as why they don't like this film, I think is the film's strongest point.

They complain that the structure is so vastly different from the first film. In that movie the whole story took place on one night and all the stories sort of merged in and out of each other. The first film had a very specific mood to it, it had an innocence of the late 50s with a mix of confusion (especially in Steve & Curt's characters) of the early 60s. It all took place under one giant night sky and Wolfman Jack's voice brought every character together.

This movie is structured differently. Its split into four segments and each segment takes place on New Year's Eve of 4 different years (1964, 65, 66 & 67). I think this very much contributes to the mood which is also different because its about the turbulent 60s which was about change and confusion. Confusion of the war, change of family values, change of styles and music and equality. But at the end of the movie they do something wonderful. When it rings New Year's, all the characters sing "Auld Lang Syne" at the same time, so while its shuttling back between 4 different timelines, we still feel like they all exist under that same big night sky.

"And this baby's made of chocolate lollipops."