Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Ken Wiederhorn

Writer:

Ken Wiederhorn (writer)

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.

Plot:

Curious kids unearth the barrels that helped revive the dead of the first film, which proves the second time's an undead charm.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Sequel | Living Dead | Electrocution | Suburb

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Michael Kenworthy	...	Jesse Wilson
Thor Van Lingen	...	Billy Crowley
Jason Hogan	...	Johnny
James Karen	...	Ed
Thom Mathews	...	Joey
Suzanne Snyder	...	Brenda
Marsha Dietlein	...	Lucy Wilson
Suzan Stadner	...	Aerobics Instructor
Jonathan Terry	...	Col. Glover
Dana Ashbrook	...	Tom Essex
Sally Smythe	...	Mildred Crowley (Billy's Mom)
Allan Trautman	...	Tarman
Don Maxwell	...	George Crowley (Billy's Dad)
Reynold Cindrich	...	Soldier
Philip Bruns	...	Doc Mandel

Also Known As:

Revenge of the Living Dead (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Denmark:16 | Italy:T (VHS rating) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Mexico:C | UK:15 (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 | Finland:K-15 (2005)

Filming Locations:

Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Greenfox

Trivia:

The street where Jesse and his family live was in fact a tract housing development still under construction.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ed hits Doc Mandel with the bedpan on the right side of the head, but Doc puts his hand to the left side, and later has a band-aid on the left side of his head.

Quotes:

Col. Glover: Jesus Christ, not again
[muttered when looking at guys in hazmat suits examining two Trioxin barrels]

Movie Connections:

References Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Soundtrack:

I'm The Man (Def/Uncensored Version)

Pretty funny...

In this comedic sequel to the 1985 film "The Return of the Living Dead", curiosity kills the cat: some kids find a cannister of zombie gas (also containing a zombie corpse, naturally) and the gas leaks everywhere and re-animates hundreds of dead bodies, leading to the expected rampage.

This movie never pretends to take itself very seriously. It's very much a horror comedy with the accent on the comedy. Outlandish situations abound - a severed hand runs amok inside a crowded car, a zombie that has been blasted in half "lives" on to pursue the heroes, and a zombie trying to emerge from its grave constantly gets its head and hands stepped on by other zombies.

It's gruesome, of course, but not in any overbearing way. The music is at times pretty ineffective, and some of the performances broad and cartoon-like. James Karen and Thom Mathews return from the first movie (in different roles) and once again they go through the same tortuous process, slowly suffering the effects of the zombie gas and wailing uncontrollably.

The makeup effects by Kenny Myers are pretty good (he worked on the first movie). Two scenes I liked involve insufferably unsympathetic victim Brenda (Suzanne Snyder) - she punches one zombie in the face and its face implodes, then later she manages to rip off the lower jaw of another zombie.

Overall, I enjoy "Return of the Living Dead Part II". It's certainly not as well-crafted or as sharp as the first movie. In fact, to some people this may be just a more-of-the-same type of sequel. I like it because it's very lively, tongue-in-cheek, and reasonably well-paced, with good zombie carnage. It's not as good as the first film, but it's still fun.

In addition to the scene-stealing work of Karen and Matthews, veteran character actor Phil Bruns (the original Morty Seinfeld) has some good lines and funny moments as the off-the-wall, drink-loving Doc Mandel.

Amusingly enough, the "Tar Man" (Allan Trautman) makes an encore appearance - too bad he's barely in the film. Also, look for Mitch Pileggi in the small role of "Sarge".

7/10