It’s decent; it isn’t as awful as many people claim, though it doesn’t reach the standard of the original movie. I was a big fan of _Chinatown_ and I wanted to see this film, which is notably less well-known and appreciated. I wondered how much its relative obscurity was due to the negative reputation that often surrounds sequels to good films. Having now seen it, I can understand why it has largely faded from view: it's not a particularly compelling movie, and it falls far short of the quality we saw in _Chinatown_, even though it attempts to emulate it and does have some redeeming qualities. To be honest, there are considerably worse sequels out there, and this one still holds some value. Jack Nicholson directed this time around. The actor was deeply invested in this project from the start, and its existence is largely thanks to him: he secured the necessary funding and ended up agreeing to direct when no other director would take it on, especially since Roman Polanski couldn’t travel to the USA for legal reasons. He believed in the project, even eleven years after the original film, and that's always admirable. The movie tried its best, but it was poorly received by critics and performed very badly at the box office. The script is partly responsible for the problems, with a creative, engaging, and original story that nevertheless has some odd turns and moments where you don’t understand why characters act as they do. It begins when detective J.J. Gittes is hired by Jake Berman to spy on his wife and catch her cheating. However, Berman then kills his wife's lover. It turns out the lover was his business partner, and the affair was the only situation under California law that allowed for a murder to be forgiven. Consequently, Gittes believes he’s been manipulated and that Berman instructed his wife to seduce her partner in order to kill him and legally take over his share of the company. Gittes decides to investigate further and discovers that the land involved is quite valuable and was previously owned by someone he had once vowed to protect. The film features a strong cast. In addition to Jack Nicholson’s powerful and committed performance, Harvey Keitel also delivers an excellent collaboration. Meg Tilly and Madeleine Stowe, the two leading actresses, are both superb and provide mature and well-executed performances. The rest of the actors, however, don't particularly shine and barely appear. Technically, the film tries to replicate the style and look of “Chinatown,” attempting to recreate the neo-noir aesthetic that the original established. It doesn’t quite succeed; there’s a sense it’s an imitation. The cinematography is less effective and elaborate, with a weaker use of light and a sepia tone that looks faded rather than beautiful. However, the film did well in recreating the mannerisms, clothing, and sets of 1948, and the selection of cars was particularly successful. There are some sound and visual effects that work well, but they’re undermined by awkward editing and a clumsy presentation of the story and its scenes.

Source on TMDB