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What it's about:
It’s two years after the events of the first Bakgat! movie and a lot has changed. Wimpie (Ivan Botha) faces a life-changing decision, Katrien (Cherie van der Merwe) is happy in her dream job teaching autistic children, Fanie (Andrew Thompson) is having a hard time tolerating Christie (Ciske Kruger Botha), who's suffering from a bad case of first-year spread and Japie (Neil Sharim) is having serious ‘size’ issues in his relationship with Liezl (Lelia Etsebeth). To complicate things even more, Katrien’s ex, heartthrob Werner 'Killer' Botha (Altus Theart), shows up. The drama, the intrigue, a love-triangle, and it all comes to a head during an epic rugby game. Who will come out tops?
What we thought:
So, the weird bunch of sex-crazy teenage friends are back, only this time they’re a bit older and they face the tough decisions that come with well, LIFE.
Wimpie and Katrien are still together and, of course, they’re still the cutest couple ever. I mean, who leaves a trail of rose petals and candles that lead to a telescope for your girlfriend to look through just to see the love of her life dropping life-size banners in sequence from his hostel balcony that reads "I love you my angel"? And all this for celebrating an anniversary! (Note to self: Make husband watch this movie.) Fortunately though - because let’s be honest, who doesn’t like drama and chaos? - all isn’t as it seems in Bakgatville…
Wimpie gets the opportunity of a lifetime when a rugby scout offers him a contract to play in England. This naturally poses a problem for his relationship with Katrien: Will she give up her career and her beautiful country for the love of her life? Or will Wimpie brave the unknown of a miserably cold and wet England on his own? Well, I won’t spoil it. Actually I can’t even really remember what happened in the end, because the film succeeds in endlessly using this one storyline (which is basically the main storyline) throughout the entire film, by going back and forth and back and forth: Wimpie decides to stay in South Africa, then he decides to go, then Katrien decides to go with him, before he decides to go alone, etc etc…until you don't even care anymore.
Besides the boring and predictable storyline, director Henk Pretorius succeeds in creating a beautiful film on camera, which is testament to how far South African filmmaking, particularly Afrikaans film, has come over the last few years. Another highlight (definitely the biggest highlight for me) is the film's awesome soundtrack which consists of songs that truly reflect the youthful and mischievous tone of the film. The soundtrack features top South African artists like Die Heuwels Fantasties, Straatligkinders, Van Coke Kartel, Glaskas, Jax Panik and eF-eL who wrote some of the songs specifically for the film.
Bakgat! 2 also introduces the audience to some new and interesting comic characters like Barry (Solomon Cupido) and Borrie (Bradley Olivier) who liven up the screen to produce some chuckles. Steve Hofmeyr also has a cameo role as a white-coated psychiatrist which really disappoints and makes you wonder why they even bothered. Cheap publicity seems to be the only logical reason.
Even though I expected more from the film, I’m sure that many young South African adults looking for a laugh will enjoy it. And if you're not familiar with Afrikaans, fear not: there are English subtitles to help you out.
