Ok folks, time for an announcement. This year, I will be reviewing ALL of the Phantasm sequels, and deciding if any are worth your time. Seeing it's October first, I figured why not start the month off right with the first installment of my Phantasm sequel series.
In Phantasm 2, a 19 year old Mike (now played by James LeGros, who is around 26 years old and looks it) is released from a psychiatric hospital, and not a moment too soon as The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) has been ravaging small towns across the U.S. . Mike teams back up with his old pal Reggie (Reggie Bannister), and armed with some homemade weapons, they set out to hunt down The Tall Man and his minions. Along for the ride are Liz (Paula Irvine), whose hometown is the target of The Tall Man's next killing spree, and the sizzling hot Alchemy (Samantha Phillips), a hitchhiker whom Mike and Reggie pick up on their quest.
James LeGros takes a little getting used to as Mike (He doesn't look quite right for the role imo), but ultimately makes for an acceptable replacement. Reggie Bannister is as cool and charismatic as ever. Both of our leads have great chemistry and come across as total bad-asses. Their weapons of choice are pretty nifty and include a hand-crafted flamethrower and a cobbled together 4 barrel shotgun (FUCK YEAH! It's nice to see our heroes take a more proactive approach this time around).
This film was clearly made on a higher budget, and it shows. The effects are of a higher quality. Some of the practical/creature effects are impressive and gross, though they don't exactly feel like something you would find in a Phantasm film (Maybe more like what you would find in a Nightmare on Elm Street film). The score isn't quite as good as the first Phantasm's, but still works for this sequel. There is also some comedy in this outing, and there are a few nut shots thrown in.
There is more of a focus on action in this one. There are two explosions within the first 20 minutes of the flick, and most of the film centers around Mike and Reggie's efforts to track down the Tall Man. Don Coscarelli returns to write and direct, and does a bang-up job once again. There are some surreal images here, but for the most part the dream-like atmosphere the first film had is gone. This didn't bother me, but I could see how it might be a turnoff for some.
There are some new things added in the sequel. For starters, Mike now has new telepathic powers that both The Tall Man and Liz use to communicate with him. It's an odd choice that doesn't really feel like it belongs here. It honestly feels like something pulled out of Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood.
The balls make a return here, and are given some nifty new tricks as well as a secondary purpose that feels a little odd. The Tall Man also receives some new henchmen. He gets some creepy new tall assistants (that kind of look like the butlers at The Haunted Mansion). There are also some "Gravers" (who wear gasmasks, pretty cool design) who exist solely to dig the corpses out of their graves and deliver them to the mortuary.
The Tall Man has more lines in this outing, but they aren't as memorable and he isn't as imposing or as intimidating. He's still a good villain though. Liz is pretty cute, but it's Alchemy who steals some scenes with her cool name and smoking hot bod. She shares a romance with Reggie (Who is more than a little old for her, but whatever), and the sex scene they share together is pretty cool (Alchemy definitely needs to be tamed).The ending this time around is neat, but the final twist doesn't feel right and comes across as something Coscarelli threw in only because the first film had a final twist too.
In the end, Phantasm 2 is the rare sequel that is just about as good/great as the original was...just in different ways. If you love 80s horror films or some bad-ass action (and some good comedy), you'll be sure to enjoy this 2nd outing. Phantasm 2 successfully continues the story of Mike, Reggie, and The Tall Man. It's certainly not perfect, but it is a ton of no-holds-barred fun! Check it out!
4 STARS
No comments:
Post a Comment