Everything interesting begins in the mind. Not a wrong thought at all, especially if someone has the sultry Sharon Stone [Images] performing salsa on his mind. Things are not just expected to get wild, but also end up changing one's life 'forever.'

Sharon Stone may be 48 but she still looks stunningly gorgeous; enough to evoke 'interesting' thoughts. Her cool as cucumber attitude, her smile, her cross-legged posture and her fling with Micheal Douglas in Basic Instinct are still the subject of innumerable conversations over a couple of drinks.

She carries the charm forward in the much-awaited sequel, Basic Instinct 2 - Risk Addiction.

Novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone) just cannot resist her fantasies and continues to explore her 'options.' Her escapade with a famous soccer star in a speeding car (that she was driving) ends up taking the life of the latter. During her interrogation, she 'plays' around with the Scotland Yard cops, daring them to prove that she was involved in the crime in any way.

Scotland Yard fails to nail her despite knowing that Tramell had drugged the soccer player. It refers her to a psychiatrist, Dr Michael Glass (David Morrissey), to evaluate her mental stability. The divorced shrink testifies before the court that Tramell suffered from something called compulsive risk disorder, and that her problem could be a potential threat for society. That should have been enough to send Tramell away for good.

But the best-selling novelist uses her influence and power to wriggle out of the case. Not just that, she admits herself as a patient with Glass, to whom she narrates how she landed up with the disorder and how she takes risks fearlessly to accomplish her fantasies.

Initally, Glass maintains a doctor-patient relationship with Tramell. However, subsequent sessions begin to `melt' the shrink. Interestingly, the role of the doctor's ex-wife is played by Indira Varma [Images], memorable as Princess Maya in Mira Nair's Kamasutra. Meanwhile, the doctor seemed to have fallen in love with Tramell.

Then, things start getting ugly as people who are in some way related to the shrink, including his ex-wife start getting killed. The obvious suspect is Tramell. But the who's-bothered attitude that she has, Tramell keeps both the doctor and the Scotland Yard on the toes, neither admitting that she is behind the crimes nor refuting the charges.

How love, jealousy, passion and intent can lead somebody to gruesome murder is what Basic Instinct - 2 is all about.

The movie has numerous twists and keeps you guessing till the end. The plot builds up for a climax that is sure to catch you offguard. Director John Mctiernan, known for directing films like Die Hard and Predator, (who replaced the critically acclaimed David Cronenberg as the director of the sequel) has pulled off what can no doubt be called a great thriller.

Indian audiences will be a bit disappointed. The movie hits the screens with all love-making scenes chopped. However, Sharon Stone makes up for it in the rest of the movie. David Morrissey's performance too has been commendable and stands out in the movie.

For those planning to watch this movie, one little piece of advice: Don't risk attraction!

Rediff Rating: