Great Film: Jeepers Creepers II
OK sequel tries hard, but misses the mark
JEEPERS CREEPERS II
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS
Stranded in a broken-down bus on a lonely country road, a group of high
school jocks and cheerleaders are targeted by the monstrous Creeper
(Jonathan Breck) who needs their body parts for the purposes of
regeneration. But the Creeper hasn't reckoned on the tenacity of one of
its earlier victims (Ray Wise), a grieving father seeking revenge for
the loss of his youngest son...
Though crafted with technical precision and performed with gusto by a
strong cast of newcomers and veterans, this disappointing sequel
sacrifices the heartfelt emotional undertow of its magnificent
predecessor JEEPERS CREEPERS (2000) in favor of bigger and splashier
set-pieces. While it's as raucous and entertaining as one could hope
for, it's also a surprisingly conventional effort from writer-director
Victor Salva, whose best work (POWDER, RITES OF PASSAGE, etc.) has
always focused on small groups of characters caught up in extreme
situations. Here, his attempts to shoehorn deeper issues into what is
essentially a popcorn movie seems forced and inconsequential, and he
spreads his narrative concerns too thinly over a broad range of
interchangeable characters: The elements of homophobia and racism which
initially divide the young heroes - until they're forced to overcome
their differences in order to survive the Creeper's onslaught - are
rendered increasingly meaningless as the movie progresses, until they
no longer have any direct influence on the wider storyline.
But Salva is too much of a craftsman for his movie to be a complete
washout. The action/horror set-pieces are genuinely spectacular, and
Breck camps it up superbly as the hideous Creeper, swooping out of the
darkness to carry unsuspecting victims to their doom. Working in scope
format for the first time in their respective careers (REAL scope, not
that Super 35 rubbish), Salva and cinematographer Don E. FauntLeRoy
conjure a series of startling images from the outset, many of them
tinged with visual poetry: The golden cornfield in the opening
sequence, where the film's first victim suffers an appalling fate (a
genuinely horrific set-piece); the point-of-view shots from the
Creeper's perspective as it swoops on fleeing prey; and the eerie calm
of the closing sequence, which portends sequels to come. Salva's
regular composer, Bennett Salvay, delivers a terrific symphonic score,
as brassy and frightening as any in recent years, which serves to boost
the film's dramatic appeal in no uncertain terms.
Wise, a late addition to the cast, dominates the film as an avenging
farmer who is every bit the Creeper's equal in terms of strength and
persistence, and he's given strong support by veterans Diane Delano and
Thom Gossom Jr. The younger cast members are enthusiastic and talented,
and it's a fair bet that some of them (Travis Schiffner, Al Santos,
Nicki Aycox, etc.) will figure heavily in various Hunkiest/Sexiest
lists during the next few years. Look out for a brief - but welcome -
cameo appearance by Justin Long from "JC1". It may not live up to every
expectation, but there's still much to enjoy in JEEPERS CREEPERS II.
Cast
- The Creeper played by Jonathan Breck
- Coach Dwayne Barnes played by Tom Tarantini
- Jack Taggart, Sr. played by Ray Wise
- Deaundre 'Double D' Davis played by Garikayi Mutambirwa
- Scott 'Scotty' Braddock played by Eric Nenninger
- Minxie Hayes played by Nicki Aycox
- Rhonda Truitt played by Marieh Delfino
