Weekend at Bernie’s II

Directed by Robert Klane, Weekend at Bernie’s II follows Andrew McCarthy’s Larry Wilson and Jonathan Silverman’s Richard Parker as they once again find themselves stuck with Terry Kiser’s long-since deceased title character. Filmmaker Klane, working from his own screenplay, delivers a clunky comedy that rarely fares as well (or reaches the comedic heights) of its obviously-superior comedy, and yet Weekend at Bernie’s II does possess an affable, amiable vibe that proves effective at sustaining the viewer’s interest from start to finish – with the agreeable atmosphere perpetuated (and heightened) by the predictably compelling, charismatic work of the picture’s three leads. (McCarthy and Silverman are terrific here, as is their chemistry together, but it’s Kiser’s scene-stealing, laugh-out-loud funny performance that remains an ongoing highlight.) It is, as such, relatively easy to overlook the elements within Klane’s script that fall palpably flat, with this especially true of the ongoing exploits of two wacky idiots (Tom Wright’s Charles and Steve James’ Henry) on Bernie’s trail, and the movie does, in the final analysis, come off as a better-than-expected sequel that passes the time well enough.

**1/2 out of ****