slightly improved

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2000)

This one towers over part one, but only by a little, because of the sense of humor they decided to put into it. Campbell, who obviously hasn't learned anything about venturing into the woods from his first adventure, does so again here, with the same result. This time he only takes his girlfriend, with others popping up later, one of them the daughter of the professor who's audio speech released the demons last time. Some, of course, become possessed and havoc insues in and out of the cabin. Even Cambell's "Ash" is taken over for a brief periods of time, the first occurence coming early on in an amazingly shot sequence. We see the evil force racing through the woods, crashing past trees and doors until it finally comes upon Campbell. Unlike the first movie, which ended with this shot as it cut to black just as it arrives at Campbell, it's continued here as he's hurtled into the air at warp speed past a number of trees before plunging into a huge puddle. There are other moments from the first film that are re-done but the main change is the comic tone. There is, again, a lot of blood, but mixed in are some hilarious possessions. The funniest being a hideous woman in a fruit cellar who looks like she has the hots for Campbell. Or living room items that begin laughing in unsion. And even when there is a moment of violence, it's done so comically, like a popped eyeball flying into a girls mouth, or the infamous moment when Campbell takes a chainsaw to his possessed hand! The cast this time around is as adequate as the last, with Campbell providing an even better performance. One downside is that we are again left with an inconclusive ending, but it's not enough to bring down this better than the first movie follow up.