"Phantasm II" of 1988 is a gory and funny sequel that entertains immensely for its entire 97 minutes. Director Don Coscarelli had come to fame for creating "Phantasm", an eerie, bizarre and nightmarish Horror classic back in 1979, and although this sequel is not nearly as suspenseful and atmospheric as its predecessor, it is an immensely entertaining flick that delivers stylish violence, morbid humor and non-stop action.
Several years after the events from the first film, Mike Pearson, who has in the meanwhile grown up, is released from a mental hospital, where he has spent several years after trying to persuade people of the existence of the Tall Man, a supernatural corpse snatcher, who enslaves the dead. After his release, Mike reunites with his old friend Reggie, in order to hunt the Tall Man down...
What I really liked about this sequel was the fact that the great, very cool character of Reggie (played by Reggie Bannister) plays a bigger role than in the first movie. James Le Gros replaced A. Michael Baldwin as Mike, the main character of the first film, and my opinion about this replacement is quite neutral. Baldwin delivered a good performance as the kid in the first film, but Le Gros is also decent in the role. Angus Scrimm is still excellent in his role as the Tall Man, who does not yet loose his creepiness (which, unfortunately, he does in parts 3 and 4). There is more cheese in the sequel, and i definitely has its flaws, but although it is not even nearly a classic like the 1979 original, "Phantasm II" is definitely a very cool flick that every lover of gory fun should appreciate. Recommended!
- Some possible minor SPOILERS ahead. -
Several years after the events from the first film, Mike Pearson, who has in the meanwhile grown up, is released from a mental hospital, where he has spent several years after trying to persuade people of the existence of the Tall Man, a supernatural corpse snatcher, who enslaves the dead. After his release, Mike reunites with his old friend Reggie, in order to hunt the Tall Man down...
What I really liked about this sequel was the fact that the great, very cool character of Reggie (played by Reggie Bannister) plays a bigger role than in the first movie. James Le Gros replaced A. Michael Baldwin as Mike, the main character of the first film, and my opinion about this replacement is quite neutral. Baldwin delivered a good performance as the kid in the first film, but Le Gros is also decent in the role. Angus Scrimm is still excellent in his role as the Tall Man, who does not yet loose his creepiness (which, unfortunately, he does in parts 3 and 4). There is more cheese in the sequel, and i definitely has its flaws, but although it is not even nearly a classic like the 1979 original, "Phantasm II" is definitely a very cool flick that every lover of gory fun should appreciate. Recommended!