First, let me just say that I consider the original Sandlot the ULTIMATE "boys of summer" movie. (Yes, even marginally beating out Stand By Me.) That said, I was disgusted to hear this was getting made. If you loved the first, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS ONE.

The single great thing that made the first movie a classic was the fantastic performances of all the kids. The kids in this movie are just annoying! It seems like they filmed each scene a piece at a time to allow the kids to remember EACH line! I'd blame the director, but it's the SAME one as the first!

*SPOILER*(Kind of) - What makes this movie an even more unforgivable sin is the BLATANT ripped off gags and story elements of the original: a retelling of an old story by lanternlight, a fast kid versus the beast, kids yelling for comedic value, and worst of all... they simultaneously re-use AND WASTE the line, "You play ball like a girl!" ARRRGHH!

What IS good about this movie? The only thing I can think of is: A) a different decade that added a different flavour and B) the heartbreaker-in-training Samantha Burton who was clearly cloned from the DNA of Rachel Leigh Cook and Angelina Jolie. And WHY is it Brett Kelly is still getting steady work!?

Please, I beg you, skip The Sandlot 2 and watch the original again. While you're cherishing THAT treasure and wondering if the sequel was a blatant money-grab, think about this... the end of this movie left room of another sequel. Sigh. Groan. 3 out of 10

It's 1972, 10 years after the original movie. A new group of kids play at the Sandlot. Johnnie is the little brother of the original's Scott Smalls. He's launching a rocket when David Durango and his friends confront him. He almost burns the dugout down and only saved by Hayley Goodfarier living next to the Sandlot. Later, Hayley and her two girl friends dare to show up on the field. David faces off against her underhand pitching and they decide to join forces. When the ball goes over the wall, Johnnie recounts The Great Fear.

There is a nostalgic love for the original which is always going to be trouble for any sequel. This is essentially mission impossible. The original has a timeless perfection which this one struggles with. The addition of girls is an interesting turn. It's fun to twist the "You play like a girl" insult. The sense of time and place is not quite up to snuff. The small contained coming-of-age world is lost to some degree. The kiss at the carnival is the first good moment although the tag at the plate should have been a dropped ball. As it stands, it's simply a hard play and not a dirty play. Samantha Burton is not a natural actress. It's obvious she's there for her ball skills and she's also pretty cute. The acting from the kids are uneven but they do kinda grow on me. The cat claw contraption is hilariously childlike. It's reminiscent of the original but inferior. This could be a lot worse.

This is a worthwhile sequel to THE SANDLOT(1993). A new group of kids, gravitating around David Durango(Max Lloyd-Jones),learn to share and make the best of the sandlot. This time a few girls prove to be worthy of playing with the boys...especially Hayley(Samantha Burton),who also has her mind set on David. This time around it is not a baseball that needs to be retrieved from Mr. Mertle's(James Earl Jones)backyard. A prototype model of a NASA space shuttle needs rescuing. And Goliath, the junkyard dog, still has his reputation. The summer will be remembered by this group of kids for its many changes. Sentimental and charming; scattered with 'potty mouth' language and a little romance. Lloyd-Jones and Burton show some real talent. Others in the cast: James Willson, Cole Evan Weiss, Brett Kelly and Sean Berdy. This is family fare and is narrated by director David M. Evans.