Sharon Stone is back as the nymphomaniac serial killer Catherine Tramell–the role that made her famous—in Basic Instinct 2. Like Hannibal—the sequel to Silence of the Lambs—Basic Instinct 2 reintroduces a serial killer that eluded the police more than a decade earlier. However, unlike the sophisticated cannibal, Dr. Lector, the trashy Catherine Tramell should have stayed in seclusion.

The movie goes through the same motions as the original. Murders occur. Catherine is investigated. She manipulates the authorities and has lots of sex with multiple partners. The only things that have changed are the location (from San Francisco to London) and the murder weapon (from ice pick to belt).

Basic Instinct 2 would not be complete without a handful of graphic sex scenes. For fans of soft core porn, this movie might be something you would be interested in. For the rest of us, these sex scenes are far from titillating. On the erotic scale, they are just a step up from seeing Diane Keaton’s breasts in Something’s Gotta Give.

Much has been said about Sharon Stone’s age and whether or not she’s still right for the role. But, in the end, who cares? The role is not Lady McBeth after all. The 48 year-old Sharon Stone delivers her seductive lines in the most phony and laughable way. The script does not aid her well with lines such as, “some guys are into blondes and some guys are into killers.”

Overall, the film fails on multiple levels. Plot holes are abundant. The characters are either too dumb or too sleazy to care about and the dialogue is laughable. The only way to enjoy this movie is to have a pint of beer before pushing the play button and another pint while watching.