Return of the Living Dead 2 [Archive] - Movie Fan Central Discussion Forums

skantchweasel

10-21-2002, 04:33 PM

Originally posted by DannyBF
I'm just gonna use a picture for my review of ROTLD2, heh heh heh. :)

http://www.manifestation.org/~ill/images/funny/sooo%20ghey.jpg

1st off, ROFL for the review, not entirely sure of its errr... "critical merits", but f@ckin good call man!

The original Return of the Living Dead was a bona-fide classic. A textbook example of how comedy can successfully be used in a Horror movie without lessening the effects of the on screen action. It combined memorable, quirky characters with quickfire dialogue, an awesome cast, combining freshfaced genre stars in the making with Old Hands of the Trade and some of the best looking Zombies to grace the screen. It stands the test of time as a professionally made Horror movie, which unlike some of its contemporaries is loved by fans across the board...

Before I continue, I would like to state, that I love Zombie movies. In a discussion some years ago, i theorised that it would be impossible to make a bad zombie movie... Providing the Undead got ample screen time and the makers werent shy of splashing the sauce - there could be no loser. Unfortunately my theory was borne from a stoned moment and did over look a few niggling details - such as the fact that Return of the Living Dead 2 existed.

On paper, maybe ROTLD2 doesnt sound so bad...

A military transporter carrying a shipment of Trioxin manages to lose a barrell on its way to base. Unfortunately for the cizitzens of Suburbia, some kids happen across this barrell, and unleash the gas within, taking a heavy dose in the process... The gas manages to spread to a nearby Graveyard, infecting a pair of Graverobbers and reanimating the dead... As the infection spreads, the town is cordoned off, and the army called in. A small band of survivors, still trapped inside, must battle the seemingly indestructible army of the undead, or face being consumed by the plague...

Shit, i should write the backs of video boxes! Man, talk about sellin ice to the eskimos!

Unfortunately, from there on in, the film falls flat on its face. Where the original had an awesome script, with a wealth of Talent to truly do it justice. The sequel is cursed with truly cringeworthy dialogue and a positively nauseating cast - The Punks from the first film are replaced with an annoying, brattish, wise cracking 10 year old, his sister and the cable TV guy. Thom Matthews and James Karen from the original ROTLD, reprise their roles as the gassed zombies to be, but unfortunately, their mere presence is insufficient, as they are provided with some truly piss poor dialogue.

Although we are totally inundated with zombies, they suck Horn - big time. I mean altho i totally digged on the makeups these zombies were shit.
Good Zombies - Oat meal faced Evil, unstoppable dead things, intent on eating Humans, working soley on the motor function to fuck shit up...
Bad (Read Return of the Living dead 2) zombies - Wise cracking zombies. ZOMBIES ARE NOT MEANT TO BE FUNNY. OK the first one had the balance smack on. "Send.... more .....paramedics..." Yeah man thats pretty cool... y know? but then in 2 uve got the disembodied head (a shit one at that) with a screwdriver in its ear, "Get the damn screwdriver out of my head..." GIVE ME A FUCKIN BREAK!!!!! If the situation is comical, then yeah, great, but to bring a halt to the proceedings and sacrifice the scene to tell a joke which would make a 10 year old wince..? No. Im sorry, i know a lot of people have said how much they like the humour in part 2, but i find it insulting as a Horror fan to have that sort of drivel served up as entertainment. Oh and dont get me started on the Michael Jackson Zombie - LAME!!!

As stated above, there are literally hordes of zombies on the rampage here, and some of them do get pretty feisty...but then... probably better to use an anallergy...
A Bacon Double Cheeseburger is presented to you... when you open it to pop in the ketchup, you notice that someone has shat in it...
I rest my case...

As a big time Gore/Zombie fan, i personally take ROTLD2 as an insult to the genre, unfortunately I am also aware that this sort of film will sell, as has been noted in previous threads.

Personally i think all traces of this movie should be erradicated from existence.
However if you like your comedies shit and positively brimming with lame characters and a weak script - if youre thinking of getting into Horror movies, this may be the movie for you!

Not a "Bad" Zombie movie - a Shit film.
This sucks.