The Gods Must Be Crazy II

Right now you can watch The Gods Must Be Crazy II in Australia on Artiflix, and in the US on Artiflix and Darkroom — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 558 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. N!xau sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Artiflix and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Gods Must Be Crazy II is worth clearing space for. The Gods Must Be Crazy II does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Xixo is back again. This time, his children accidentally stow away on a fast-moving poachers' truck, unable to get off, and Xixo sets out to rescue them. Along the way, he encounters a couple of soldiers trying to capture each other and a pilot and passenger of a small plane, who are each having a few problems of their own. N!xau and Lena Farugia lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1989. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and The Gods Must Be Crazy II holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

The Gods Must Be Crazy II is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. N!xau's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.