Phantasm II (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  Fantastic follow-up to a great horror classic. Even though it doesn't include the kid who was in the original to play his role, it's still entertaining as hell.

• AJ V

  
  This sequel continues a few years after the first, and it's much like the first one, but we get to know a little more about the Tall man. It's got a more 80s feel than the first, and the end is kinda disappointing, but I kinda liked it too.

• Anthony L

  
  Better than the first but still not fantastic.

• Creep F

  
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• Cassandra M

  
  In the tradition of other horror movie franchises, Phantasm takes the action route for this sequel. The horror and sci-fi are still there but there's more combat, stuff blowing-up and gore than there was before. I suppose it does keep things fresh but it does get a bit too… More
  In the tradition of other horror movie franchises, Phantasm takes the action route for this sequel. The horror and sci-fi are still there but there's more combat, stuff blowing-up and gore than there was before. I suppose it does keep things fresh but it does get a bit too tongue-in-cheek sometimes. Kinda like Evil Dead II, I'm not sure if this really fits in with the tone set by the first film. Phantasm II begins right after where the first film left off. The freaky dwarfs have invaded Mike's home and Reggie must foil the Tall Man's attempts at kidnapping him. Flash forward seven years and Mike is in a mental institution. He is released upon admitting that the whole Phantasm experience was made up only to find that in his absence the Tall Man has been plundering many of America's small towns and thousands of graves are empty. After the Tall Man kills Reggie's family in a gas explosion, Reg teams up with Mike to hunt him down and kick his head in...again. All they have to do is follow the trail of dead people, right? And this time they are ready for whatever outlandish tricks he's ready to play on them, armed to the teeth with quadruple-barrelled shotguns, flame-throwers and chainsaws. Complicating matters are Mike's inexplicable visions of the future and psychic connections to a mysterious girl he has never met before. As before, the Tall Man is the best thing in the film. Angus Scrimm is so wonderfully silent and unholy that no matter how slick and entertaining the rest of the film is he'll come out on top. Don Coscarelli was given a budget 10 times that of the original by Universal, but they did interfere with production quite a lot, much to his annoyance. They said that only one of the original cast members could return, so he chose Reggie Bannister and re-cast Mike with James LeGros (after turning down Brad Pitt!). It does kind of ruin the continuity a bit but it's not terribly distracting. They also demanded a more simple and linear story, so don't expect any of the bizarre dream sequences and flashbacks. If you're a big fan of the first this might seem disappointing but you know how studios love to think less of their audiences. The higher budget helps Phantasm to have a bigger scope than the original. The first half of the film feels like a road movie with lots of pretty scenery while the rest is kind of like a low-rent Ghostbusters/Lost Boys clone. Which sounds like a negative point, but the hokey tone of the film vanishes when it heads off into HP Lovecraft territory. If you're looking for answers as to what the first film was all about then you won't find many. In fact it raises more questions than anything else. But it's still a fun ride. I'm just kind of annoyed that the music took the more generic synth approach that was common in the 80's instead of the funky 70's beats we got before. The main Phantasm theme is still there for your enjoyment however and gets a great finish on the end credits.

• Lafe F

  
  This movie raises the Phantasm series another notch, with a higher budget and lots of gory action. This first film was groudbreaking and lighthearted, but this one goes to the max with tons of innovative gore effects done realistically. The scenery and tone is dark and spooky, with… More
  This movie raises the Phantasm series another notch, with a higher budget and lots of gory action. This first film was groudbreaking and lighthearted, but this one goes to the max with tons of innovative gore effects done realistically. The scenery and tone is dark and spooky, with enough black humour to keep it going. This is the most satisfying film in the Phantasm series. It's very well done and highly recommended for horror fans.

• Chris O

  
  This is the perfect example of a movie that is to similar to the original they play it safe and try nothing new. Thatâ(TM)s understandable if a formula works donâ(TM)t change it but this gets to a point where they basically recreate entire scenes from the first one. The plot is two… More
  This is the perfect example of a movie that is to similar to the original they play it safe and try nothing new. Thatâ(TM)s understandable if a formula works donâ(TM)t change it but this gets to a point where they basically recreate entire scenes from the first one. The plot is two guys are out to destroy Tall Man the interdimensional serial killer whose weapon of choice is 3 floating spike balls of death with drills at the end. Yeah if you thought Freddyâ(TM)s weapon was original well just look Tall Mans any way they eventually find him and well do all the same stuff from before. Itâ(TM)s a really predictable sequel but itâ(TM)s got nice special effects and Tall Mans death scene is the highlight.

• Daniel P

  
  Released and set nine years after the first film, <i>Phantasm II</i> is a very worthy sequel, in fact I'd say it's even better than its predecessor. <p>With a budget roughly six times that of <i>Phantasm</i>, Don Cascarelli has crafted a more… More
  Released and set nine years after the first film, <i>Phantasm II</i> is a very worthy sequel, in fact I'd say it's even better than its predecessor. <p>With a budget roughly six times that of <i>Phantasm</i>, Don Cascarelli has crafted a more focused film with a tighter script that works because its a direct follow on from the first film, rather than a retread. (And you'll need to be familiar with events from the first instalment if you have any hope in following this one, as aside from the clunky flashback-heavy prologue, there's very little exposition.) <p>The silver spheres, the dwarves (now even more creepy) and the Tall Man all make welcome and inventive returns, the story finding new and imaginative uses for them. <p><i>Phantasm II</i> builds on the atmosphere of dread adding new kinks with a fixation on some of the more gruesome aspects of the mortuary business (formaldehyde, incinerators and scalpels are some of the additions). <p>Inevitably, letting the side down somewhat is the acting - the two female leads are pretty dreadful, though James LeGros (<i>November</i>, <i>Scotland, PA</i>) is an interesting choice as Mike. Reggie Bannister, reprising his role as 'Reggie' from the first film, seems to be doing some sort of aged Bruce Campbell impersonation, which is frankly a little embarrassing. Speaking of which, if I were to compare this to another horror sequel then <i>Evil Dead II</i> definitely springs to mind; there's even some 'camera on a stick' sequences that are recognisable from Sam Raimi's film. <p>A great sequel to an undisputed classic.

• Nicky M

  
  I liked this sequel better than the original. The Tall Man is seen more and the spheres come into play more. The dwarves are even creepier. The higher budget is obvious as the gore factor turns up a notch.

• Barry L

  
  Not a patch on 1 but still great.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings