Had this sequel to 1981's "Arthur" been made immediately following that film's surprise success, maybe audiences would've been interested. Maybe Dudley Moore wouldn't look so stung by the career-bombs he endured throughout the 1980s. Alas, the biggest problem with this draggy, silly comedy is the absence of Steve Gordon, who wrote and directed the original and died shortly thereafter. This film has none of nuances of the first, none of the laughs or warmth, yet it does retain the forced drunken humor of its title character--and this in itself looked really out of place in sober 1988. What a shame, nearly everyone is here (including John Gielgud in a cameo), but it just doesn't pass. Blame it on a leaden script, a direction with no bounce, and too much time under the bridge for anyone to care anymore. *1/2 from ****
Review of Arthur 2: On the Rocks
