A couple months ago, I watched The Sandlot: Heading Home, mentioning here that I had actually been looking for The Sandlot 2 when I stumbled upon that third installment of the series instead.  This weekend, I finally did manage to get my hands on a copy of The Sandlot 2.  

This chapter of the Sandlot series follows the typical formula of all the movies in the collection.  There is the group of main characters comprising the beloved sandlot team, including a leader, a nerdy kid, a chubby kid, and a ladies’ man.  There is a rival, cocky Little League team that challenges the sandlot team and engages in a name-calling contest with them.  And the primary conflict of the film revolves around a battle for the sandlot itself.

The Sandlot 2 introduces us to Johnnie Smalls, who, we eventually learn, is the younger brother of the one and only Scotty Smalls.  Johnnie is the narrator of the story and proves himself just as nerdy as his big brother, spending his time playing with model rockets.  The leader of this story’s sandlot team is David Durango, who also finds himself battling puberty and his sudden interest in girls.

One girl, in particular, is Hayley Goodfairer.  In addition to being attractive, Hayley proves herself a particularly talented softball pitcher.  At first, the boys of the sandlot are miffed when Hayley and her friends start using the sandlot to play softball, but after a couple of contentious face-offs, the boys and the girls agree to join together into a single team.

We learn that the Beast, Hercules, has passed away, but not before leaving behind some puppies.  One of those puppies grew into the newest sandlot terror, known as “The Great Fear.”  As Scotty’s younger brother, Johnnie knows all about the Beast and the Great Fear, and passes the legend onto the sandlot’s latest tenants.

Like his big brother, Johnnie gets himself into a bit of a pickle.  But instead of a baseball, he launches a rocket that does not belong to him, and it lands on the other side of the fence, in the territory belonging to the Great Fear.  The sandlot kids rally, but as before, nothing seems to work to get the rocket back.  Finally, the Benny Rodriguez of this tale, David Durango, decides to step up, facing his own fears as he hops the fence to take on the Great Fear.  James Earl Jones reprises his role as Mr. Mertle, which is certainly a treat for fans.

Aside from the inclusion of girls in the new team, there’s very little in this movie that the original Sandlot doesn’t already offer.  If you’re an especially big fan of the Sandlot and you don’t mind the cheesiness of it all, this is still an entertaining way to pass a couple hours, and it is chock full of nostalgia.  If you’re looking for something new, however, maybe pass on this one.