From slightly over the top to way, way over the top, Critters 2 delivers even more action and fun. – Will
Unhatched Critter eggs start breaking open a few years after their original invasion. It’s once again up to Brad Brown and the alien bounty hunters to stop them.
Directed by – Mick Garris
Written by – David Twohy, Mick Garris
Starring – Terrence Mann, Don Keith Opper, Cynthia Garris, Scott Grimes, Al Stevenson, Tom Hodges, Douglas Rowe, Liane Curtis, Lindsay Parker, Herta Ware, Sam Anderson, Lin Shaye, Barry Corbin, Eddie Deezen, Frank Birney, David Ursin, Roxanne Kernohan, Gregory Patrick
If you’re going to do a sequel than there’s really a few rules that should be followed and I think Critters 2 gets them down. You obviously need more blood and action, especially in the horror genre. You also need either a better villain or more of them. Critters 2 takes the 8 Critters from the first film and turns them into hundreds. That might be an exaggeration but when the giant rolling ball of Critters shows up towards the end of the film I had a hard time trying to count them all.
You basically have the exact same plot as the first film really. Instead of the Critters coming to Earth from space, some eggs that had been left over from the first film start hatching. The alien bounty hunters are sent back to Earth to destroy the Critter infestation once and for all and many of the characters from the first film also return, including Brad (Scott Grimes). Even if they didn’t try to change the overall idea of the story, they certainly managed to make it bigger. Critters are rolling all over town, in broad daylight finally so we can really get a good look at them. They act more insane and deliver more jokes than before and they seem to have learned a few new tricks.
They may be ugly but the know how to pull off some great jokes.
It’s everything the first film was but bigger or more funny or more explosive. Hell, even the alien bounty hunters get an upgrade. Although Ug (Terrence Mann) still looks like the rock star from the first film, his partner is faceless again. What do you do when you’ve got an 80′s horror/comedy aimed at the younger market? Throw some boobs in and that’s just what they do. Ug’s partner, Lee (played by Roxanne Kernohan and Gregory Patrick) chooses the first form she/he sees, the centerfold of a discarded Playboy magazine. For some reason this causes all her clothes to tear off leaving her in a thong and no top. Talk about aiming for a specific market!
Oh I'm sorry, my large breasts seem to have destroyed my uniform.
If the first film wasn’t taking itself seriously than the second film is just mocking itself outright. They even manage to throw in a Freddy Krueger reference when the bounty hunter Lee almost changes shape into Freddy. Nice little cross promotion there New Line Cinema! I remember this one not only for the gratuitous boob shot near the beginning of the film but for the giant Critter ball that shows up towards the end of the movie. When all the Critters form into a giant ball and roll through the forest they manage to catch up to that unlucky bastard who hasn’t been jogging enough. They roll right over him and we’re left with a shot of a skinned corpse quivering on the ground. There’s your money shot of the film.
If you liked Critters than there’s no reason why you wouldn’t like the first one. You get thrust right into the meat chomping action within 5 or 10 minutes and it doesn’t let up till the end. There’s way more Critters than the first film and plenty of humourous moments to keep you entertained. They also manage to increase the blood and goo factor. It’s everything a sequel should be wrapped up in 80′s cheese, something I can never seem to get enough of! I just hope the next two films in the series don’t disappoint but I have to wonder how far they can stretch the same premise before it finally snaps and I don’t enjoy it anymore.
Under the marquee – Will
