i really do not think producer george lucas do not really set out to make such a horrible sequel a more american graffiti turn out to be . but in retrospect it be the first crack in his then seemingly impenetrable armor . come straight off the huge success of american graffiti and produce basically at the same time a star war and this film be the first that lucas successfully take away from coppola without have to bother direct it himself . the result be typical lucas far more interesting in term of it structure and the way it edit than the actual material . the writer or director bill norton have be allow to use a variety of different screen ratio and split screen to produce odd association in the image . while it interest to see ironic juxtaposition of the 4 story line and the style ultimately only epitomize the fractured nature of the film itself . lucas brilliant original film be all about a group of friend on the archetypical last big night before school end and kurt ( ron dreyfus ) and steve ( ron howard ) be suppose to go off to college . one thing that make that film work and despite the fact that it very episodic and be that you have the core character together at the beginning and they come back together at the end . there a disposition of time and like in nick ray rebel without a cause where a certain period of time becomes very elastic and take on more meaning than such a specific time really would in actual life and but everything take place in a static space . more american graffiti be basically the opposite the space be very dynamic and with toad ( charles martin smith ) off in vietnam and his former girlfriend debbie ( candy clark ) party with hippy in san francisco and steve and laurie ( cindy williams ) involve in student protest in berkeley and and john miler ( paul le mat ) drag race on the semi pro circuit . in a contrived meeting early in the film all the principle be bring together to watch john race and but after that the thread do not come back together and weave apart the way they do in the original . instead they split off and we follow the character through about 3 year of time and just see various event on new year eve in what seem to be 1967 and 68 and 69. it easy for the audience to become confused and and i think it fair to say that we do . while the original film seem to condense important event and rite of passage into unreal theatrical time that produce an experience of nostalgia even for those who never experience those event and this sequel drag and stretch the few plot point from the epilogue of the original and attempt to make them into a coherent film . the best part of the movie to me be the one with candy clark in sf and charles martin smith in nam . some of the joke do fall flat but the style of those section be interest and they form a neat contrast with each other . a good movie could maybe have be make if these part be just a bit well and and if the other part weren not such a drag . speaking of drag racing and the whole plot with milner talk to a foreign exchange student be really lame and unfunny and and throw in mackenzie phillips for a cameo do not help at all . it be just another contrived moment and like when they briefly explain why curt isn not in the movie because he already in canada . instead laurie just have another brother who be basically identical to curt but have a different name and be now play by a very boring actor . there a black kind of satire to some of the vietnam stuff and very similar to what i would imagine lucas and john milius original idea for apocalypse now would have be like . and there some of that manic fun in the san francisco scene that make the first movie fun . but still along with that fun stuff and you have the rest of the movie drag it down and a if anyone want to see steve and laurie argue in their horrible suburban abode a if they be audition for a spielberg movie about divorce and child abandonment . i think even if those part of the movie weren not so painful and it still wouldn not really be comparable to the first movie because there no closure and no sense of come back together or of anybody have learn anything . it just sort of end at the point when they run out of money or something and a cheap freeze frame imitation of two lane blacktop and so many good film . like the original however and this film have a great soundtrack of period hit that be probably worth own for it own sake and almost make the movie itself palatable . the performance by country joe and the fish be great and and scott glenn all duded up a a hippie in love with candy clark be a sight to see i wonder if even back then he have to use a wig . i couldn not possibly recommend this movie and and yet it have some small affection in my heart because i love the original so much . every couple of decade i guess i have to give this movie a try just to make sure that it really as worthless a i remember it be . it a party killer but it something that every fan of american graffiti or george lucas in general will want to see at least once or twice . it show how a lot of effort can go into something and it can still turn out pretty half baked . it make you reflect on how much of a miracle it be that lucas actually make such a good movie a american graffiti in the first place and a if all the element be in place and all the appropriate god have be placate . unfortunately such be not the case for this film or for bill norton .