On Return of the Living Dead Pt. 2 - A Review

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 pales in comparison to its prequel, but is still an entertaining film. If you dig intentionally bad movies, this one does it with a unique flair. It is legitimately funny, but lacks the earnestness and fear factor of its predecessor. James Karen and Thom Matthews return for a brief introduction, but are not main characters in the film. Aside from that, it has little to nothing to do with the first Return of the Living Dead.

While it had a higher budget than the first movie, it did not utilize its resources as well. The special effects are still pretty good, but resort to animation at the end. RotLD2 also lacks direction; it leaps between comedy and half-hearted seriousness, never taking either direction too far for too long. It was a hit at the box office, though I do not recall it as vividly from childhood as I do the first installment and it did not hit #1 at the box office during its run (that I'm aware of).

RotLD2 is goofier than it is witty, and sillier than it is funny, but it's a good flick and an enjoyable way to spend an evening. It's also heavy on the special effects but light on the gore, so it's more apt to make you giggle than gross you out. The lead kid will annoy the shit out of you, if you're half-normal anyway, but the movie is definitely worth a view.

Return of the Living Dead Pt. 2 is recommended.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011