When a sleeper hit becomes an international sensation, you can’t really fault the writer-director for trying to capitalize on that success. The Gods Must Be Crazy 2 is Jamie Uys’ coat-tail ride, and while it’s not without its charms, it lacks the earnestness of the first and fails to recapture the magic. It was filmed 5 years after the first but mysteriously shelved for 5 more, only making its debut in 1989.

N!Xau, the Kalihari bushman who starred in the first film, is back. In this, he is separated from his kids while on a hunting expedition in the desert. His children are kidnapped by elephant poachers, and in his quest to find and free them (and reestablish himself as the hero), he comes across a whole bunch more notable characters, including a New York attorney and a zoologist, who are stranded in the desert. Following the formula of the first, various plot lines will inevitably converge.

Madcap whimsy? If you’re feeling generous. Amusing battle over a cup of water with a baboon? Why not.  You’re only going to watch this movie if you really loved the first, and even then, maybe you shouldn’t.