The Sandlot 2 [dvd] [2005]

A decade has passed in the small town where the original Sandlot gang banded together during the summer of ’62 to play baseball and battle the Beast. Now comes the sequel, a campy romp back to the dugout where nine new kids descend on the diamond only to discover that a descendant of the Beast lives in Mr. Mertle’s backyard--a monster of mythical proportions known as "The Great Fear." Director/writer David Evans cleverly ties his two films together by introducing Johnnie Smalls, kid brother of Scotty Smalls ("You’re killin’ me, Smalls") who is well-versed in the legendary struggle for possession of the Babe Ruth baseball. Smalls befriends the sandlot gang (which now includes three girls) and its leader, David Vincent Durango, and relates the rumor of "a mutated, insane Bigfoot dog thing" behind the left field fence. Summer unfolds with baseball rivalries, rocket launchers, and the infamous Carnival kissing booth, but fate will forever change the history of the sandlot when a crisis forces Smalls and Durango to join forces against The Fear. Regardless of one’s sentiments on sequels, Evans’ writing in this remake is nearly as fresh and full of memorable quips as the original, including his characteristically understated narration. And while the film may be faulted for its forced melodrama and unseasoned cast, James Earl Jones lends his star appeal and the 70s soundtrack will make you wish for the days when fireworks were legal. Rated PG for profanity and raunchy humor. (Ages 6 to 14) --Lynn Gibson