Wayne’s World 2 is a 1993 comedy and sequel about best friends who try and put on a rock concert and learn a few life lessons as they go. No way. Way.
Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and his best friend Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) are back, and none too soon. This time, they’re putting on an outdoor rock festival because, well, in a dream Wayne’ has, that’s what Jim Morrison and a half naked Indian said to do. Makes sense. And seriously, if that’s the kind of dream you’re having, then really what choice have you got? Medication? Phffft. As if. So they round up the old gang and try to book the biggest bands in the land. Meanwhile, evil record promoter Bobby Cahn (Christopher Walken) tries to lure Wayne’s girlfriend Cassandra (Tia Carrere) into his evil lair. Sort of. Mostly he just thinks she could do better. But yeah, he’s slimy.
Directed by Stephen Surjik, Wayne’s World 2 rehashes jokes from the original, sure, but also keeps things fresh with loads of irreverent, fourth-wall busting comedy that was so well-received by audiences and critics it totally swept the Academy Awards the following year. NOT! Okay, whatever. Still, even though the plot is fairly similar to the first and the film is nothing but an excuse to loosely stitch together a long run of pop culture references and sight gages, it’s just plain funny. Unless you were born without a humor gland.
That Moment: While Garth has become involved with a sexy femme fatale (Kim Basinger), who has designs on the horny young man to kill her husband, Wayne is realizing he is losing Cassandra as Cahn continues to keep her too busy, and when Wayne confesses to spying on her, she ends their relationship and hurriedly agrees to marry Bobby on the rebound. In a parody of The Graduate, Wayne hops into a 1966 Alpha Romero and speeds off to the church to stop the ceremony. Along the way, he is pulled over by the T-1000 Terminator before ending up at a gas station to ask for directions to Gordon Street where the wedding is taking place.
Wayne pulls in and approaches an attendant (Al Hansen) who Wayne thinks is not a good actor and actually stops the film to say so, claiming that, yes, it’s a small part but surely they could get someone better to play it. In swoops the film’s actual director who dutifully moves the bad actor out of the way and replaces him with none other than … legendary film star Charlton Heston, who proceeds to read the lines with incredible depth and resonance, eventually making Wayne (Myers?) cry. In a movie full of unexpected twists, this is arguably the best and not only earns a big laugh but also reveals a lighter side to the acclaimed actor. When Wayne, barely containing his emotion, gets a pat on the shoulder from Heston and says thank you to the star, well, you gotta wonder if that’s for the movie, or real life. What a great moment.