Some critics rebelled — and Variety caused ripples in Hollywood by comparing the film to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s failed turn in the action movie sendup “Last Action Hero,” released by Sony in 1993.
Close up, the workmanship that went into each ripple and shadowy layer of tulle was inimitably precious, yet somehow the designers successfully dodged the hazard of veering into overdone froufrou.
As a sequel to the highest-grossing film ever, which was criticized for its formulaic story (and the surprisingly small ripple it had on pop culture), the new movie is a genuine surprise.