Woodyanders Review of Hardbodies 2

Hardbodies 2 (1986)

An enjoyably silly sequel to the deliciously raunchy original

[8/10 · 23 August 2009]

A bumbling group of American filmmakers go to Greece to make a cheesy movie. Dashing lead actor Scotty Palmer (a charming performance by Brad Zutaut) falls in love with the lovely and radiant Cleo (a marvelously sweet and personable performance by the strikingly gorgeous Fabiano Udenio of "Summer School" fame), a fetching local waitress who's cast as the female star of the flick. Meanwhile the other cast and crew members fumble and stumble their way through the chaotic shooting of the picture. Director/co-writer Mark Griffiths relates the busy plot at a constant snappy pace and pitches the blithely crude and dumb humor at an amusingly broad level. The cast have a field day with their colorful roles: Zutaut and Udenio make for engaging leads, James Karen has a ball as smarmy lecherous cheapskate producer Logan, Brenda Bakke is perfectly snooty as Scotty's snippy fiancé Cleo, Sorrells Pickard does a pleasing reprise of the supremely affable Carlton Ashby, plus there are neat supporting turns by Sam Temeles as Scotty's goofball buddy Rags, Roberta Collins as Logan's perky, no-nonsense wife Lana, Louise Baker as daffy klutz production assistant Cookie, and Alexandros Mylonas as flamboyant gay production designer Brucie. The jokes about such subjects as dope, making love in airplane bathrooms, out-of-control chainsaws, and hack no-talent actresses making ill-advised stabs at auditioning for the female lead are admittedly pretty stupid, but are done in a breezy and good-natured manner that still proves to be quite funny just the same. Moreover, there's an ample amount of yummy bare distaff skin and the Greek island scenery looks absolutely beautiful. Tom Richmond's bright, sparkling cinematography and the bouncy score by Jay Levy and Eddie Arkin are both up to speed. An entertainingly inane diversion.