Like The Brady Bunch Movie, this effort combines several incidents from the TV series and strings them together with a loose central premise, and the result is actually funnier than the first film. This premise is that Tim Matheson shows up pretending to be Carol Brady’s long-lost husband. He is after a priceless horse sculpture in the Bradys’ living room. The innocent/rude tone of the first film is carried through here, and given extra impetus by the addition of an is-it-incest-or-not? subplot involving Greg and Marcia’s attraction for each other. Added fun comes by way of a tying together of several seminal TV series from the 70s, and a hilarious moment of interaction between The Brady Bunch and Homicide: Life on the Streets (complete with hand-held camera).
Audio
The opening scenes, which are downscale Indiana Jones, have a fair bit by way of atmospheric sound effects, and these are well served by the mix (which comes in both 5.1 and2.0 versions). Thereafter, the feel of the sound is very TV sitcom: in other words, virtually no sound effects, with only incidental music accompanying the dialogue. That means that the disc is hardly an immersive experience, but the sound is very clear, and there is no distortion whatever on that dialogue.
Video
Still another 1.78:1 ratio, as far as I can tell, while the original theatrical ratio was 1.85:1,though compositions aren’t particularly harmed. The colours are very bright, and they and their contrasts verge on the extreme in the Brady household, to humourous effect (note, for instance,how Carol and Marcia’s screaming red blouses match the kitchen wall). There is a little bit of dirt and grain in the opening credits, and this problem returns (in an admittedly minor way) now and then later in the film.
Special Features
None.
Closing Thoughts
The sequel certainly stands up well next to the first in the series. In fact, they play rather likea single film. Lacking extras, you might as well rent both movies and watch them back toback.
