THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 26, 1996 TAG: 9608261197
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: 65 lines
THOSE WHO either loved or hated the 1970's ultra-sweet series ``The Brady Bunch'' will have another great time with ``A Very Brady Sequel.'' Even those who were indifferent may like the double entendre one-liners in which the Brady clan, still stuck in the la-de-da niceness of the '70s, move about in the gruffness and so-called hipness of the 1990s.
``The Brady Bunch Movie'' was one of the more outlandish surprises of the past movie year - a movie that was so slickly knowing that it defied its very title.
Given the box office gross, a sequel was inevitable but it was not so assured that the tongue-in-cheek style would be maintained, particularly since the new film has a new director (Arlene Sanford, making her feature debut doing many episodes of the quite clever HBO series ``Dream On'').
Mercifully, and with hilarious results, the style of the first film is still there.
The Bradys, in a word, don't have a clue.
They wear polyester and bell-bottoms accessorized by sideburns and '70s-garish colors. Their house is a sunny haven that never sees a cloudy day. The biggest problem is that Carol Brady's first husband, long presumed to be dead, shows up (played by Tim Matheson, who hasn't been quite this broad with comedy since ``Animal House''). Shelley Long, a comedian blessed with impeccable timing, is again mama Carol, chirping and cooing her amazement at everything.
The rest of the cast is also back. There's Gary Cole, issuing nice sermonettes about the meaning of life at every turn. There's Henriette Mantel, thanklessly trying to fill in for Ann B. Davis, as Alice, the faithful housekeeper.
Perhaps the funniest feud continues to be that between prissy, pretty Marcia (Christine Taylor) and homely, middle-child Jan (Jennifer Elise Cox). Taylor brushes her hair and revels in her teen beauty while poor Jan, with braces on her teeth, is so desperate that she has to invent an imaginary boyfriend.
The raciest subplot deals with the physical attraction between older son Greg (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and Marcia. (Don't be so shocked. After all, they weren't blood relatives, were they?) Zsa Zsa Gabor and Rosie O'Donnell are among those with cameo roles.
The group breaks into sunny song periodically. They're no Partridge Family, which is all to the good. The audience may well applaud when an airline stewardess interrupts one of their musical numbers and orders them to ``Sit down and shut up.''
``A Very Brady Sequel'' is very funny. ILLUSTRATION: PARAMOUNT
House guest Roy Martin (Tim Matheson), center, is overwhelmed by the
Brady kids, from left: Christine Taylor, Paul Sutera, Jesse Lee,
Jennifer Elise Cox, Olivia Hack and Christopher Daniel Barnes.
MOVIE REVIEW
``A Very Brady Sequel''
Cast: Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson, Henriette Mantel,
Christopher Daniel Barnes, Christine Taylor, Jennifer Elise Cox,
Paul Sutera, Olivia Hack, Jesse Lee
Director: Arlene Sanford
MPAA rating: PG-13 (lots of double entendres, but the kids
shouldn't understand them)
Mal's rating: *** by CNB