Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) (DVD Review)
Directed By: Ken Wiederhorn
Starring: James Karen, Thom Mathews, Michael Kenworthy
Rated: R/Region: 1/1:78/Number of disc: 1
Available from Warner Home Video
Curious kids open a barrel of green gas linked to a mysterious military experiment, and soon a tenebrous green cloud of fog is making its way through the creepy town cemetery. Knowing exactly where this is headed is, of course, part of the fun in this tongue-in-cheek zombie sequel.
Return of the Living Dead is an odd yet fun sequel to the original classic. We have people cast in pretty much the same roles as before and while it isn’t as good or as funny, there is a certain charm that makes the movie likeable in spite of it self. We have zombies that don’t seem to know if they want to run or shamble, but it all comes together with an odd sense of humor that makes the movie have a really odd environment to it. There is also some nice gore here and there sprinkled in with zombies that at times are cracking more jokes than the characters in the film. The film also tends to get off to a slow start, but by half way you should find yourself enjoying it.
Either way you look at it, this film can’t hold a candle to the original Return of the Living Dead. Then again what does? Taken on it’s own you could do a lot worse than a film like this. The humor and campy feel of it will turn some away, because it just isn’t THAT funny in spots when it is trying to be. I still find more to like about it than I find not to like about it. There is a bit of a nostalgic aura around it for those who perhaps first saw it by renting it back in the day and those will probably be the folks you can appreciate something like this the most.
– Commentary by Director Ken Wiederhorn and co-star Thor Van Lingen
– Theatrical Trailer
