It appears that they brought back a handful of the characters from the first one. We get Brad, Charlie, Sal, Harv (different actor), and one of the Bounty Hunters named Ug. He’s the one who portrayed Johnny Steele. How do you bring back Brad but not the rest of the family? I have questions. We deserve answers. I’m gonna enjoy some chili and hope for a decent sequel.
Start Film
Hmmm, this is Mick Garris’ first feature film that he directed. He has done a lot of Stephen King movies and is hit or miss. But I admire him because I feel like you can always see effort from him. Maybe I don’t like some stuff that he makes, but he tries hard.
We now have 3 bounty hunters. How fortuitous. Wait, two bounty hunters, and a Charlie. Brad’s grandmother lives in this new town. And that is how you write off the family. The bus driver was awesome. Shame this was his last role, apparently. “These things ain’t worth dick,” says Quigley while looking at like 30 Critter eggs. I will assume that his buddy in leather is named Wesley. Megan will presumably be the hot girl…and therefore the final girl. Wait, this isn’t a slasher. Is that Sal working with Megan’s dad? It sure is and she recognizes Brad on the bus. The whole town knows the Brown’s story of Critters. So how did they explain the shit at the bowling alley, church, and Jeff’s death? If people treat it as a story and not real, I don’t understand.
Sal visits Harv who now lives in a small trailer, and this guy just doesn’t even look like the original. Quigley trades beer and Playboy magazines for the eggs. Charlie is afraid that the Bounty Hunters will leave him on Earth. Wesley shows up at the Hungry Heifer with a beer for Megan and she isn’t interested. Brad gets his ass handed to him for intervening.
Nana buys half the eggs for Easter. The Browns now live in Kansas City apparently. Nana gives the little girl a chocolate bunny and an egg. How thoughtful! Quigley’s supply of Critters has hatched and killed his dog. Now they want him. These seem more vicious. Does Megan’s family live in the Brown’s old home? Brad still has the communicator from part one and a random picture of him and Charlie with the slingshot. Brad had no idea where Charlie went. The Critter egg that the little girl had has hatched. I think her name is Cindy. Her dad (Megan’s dad as well) accidentally stepped on it. The old ladies at church spread around a bunch of the eggs. The new Sheriff is now dressed as the Easter Bunny and some Critters have entered his costume. I think that this is supposed to be funny. He just dove through the Church window mid-sermon and is dead.
Megan convinces Brad to go with her to visit Harv. Harv wants nothing to do with this because the town took away his job. They took his job!!!
The bounty hunters have landed and Charlie finds a Playboy. The other bounty hunter, Lee, transforms into the centerfold. Uhmmmm, well she is mostly nude except a thong/belt. Megan and Brad are stopped by a crazed Sal. I love Lin Shaye. Quigley’s corpse and 3 Critters are attacking. One is deflating a tire and then got ran over. One is now attacking Nana. Brad signals the bounty hunters and they arrive. Lee is now dressed, unfortunately. Brad and Charlie reunite.
They need help at the Hungry Heifer. Props to Roxanne Kernohan, the lady who plays Lee. She was hired, most likely just for her looks, and yet she owns her part. I would like to also see her Playboy video. I miss those. Lee transforms into the manager of Hungry Heifer. That’s a shame. Hahaha, Lee sees a cardboard cut out of Freddy Krueger and was going to morph in him. Charlie gets Lee to morph back to the model. This is preferable. Oh no, Lee is attacked by at least 6 Critters. No, Lee’s arm has been gnawed off. Ug is flipping out. By the way, were they trying to make an “ugly” joke out of the bounty hunter’s names: Ug and Lee?
Haha, little blonde girl on a tricycle. Nice nod to Nightmare on Elm Street. Cindy, how are you falling off a tricycle? Brad with the save until he is surrounded. Harv with the even better save, ya know, because he has guns.
All the Critters are meeting up. This has potential. The town wants to shoot Brad, hahaha. Brad has a plan to get the critters to eat and then explode them. Harv was fantastic there. I was getting bored, but we just had a moment. Wesley and Brad are teaming up, well I guess the whole town is working together. They are at the place where Hungry Heifer stores their food. Now they are blowing the scent of food toward the Critters. The Critters are rolling now. This is quite the buffet.
There are about 13 minutes to go, so 10 minutes of explosions and violence, and then a lot of goodbyes and a way to lead us to a sequel. They have one big Hoss Critter. That pleases me. isn’t everybody a little too close for all the explosions? Ohhhh, big boy was actually Ug. There are the explosions. Harv is firing his guns like Yosemite Sam. Well, there is a super ball of all Critters rolling together. Brad and Meg take off without Ug or Wesley, which seems like a poor decision. They ram the ball with the pickup. Charlie is flying the ship toward the ball. He explodes the ball and the ship. Do I feel bad for Charlie or for Ug? Ug transformed to Charlie. How does Ug get back on another ship? There’s the bus driver again!! Harv has a great shirt on. No kiss for Megan and Brad…..and there is Charlie unscathed thanks to his parachute. And here is another spaceship. Sweet. That answers my biggest question. Ug flies up to the spaceship. Charlie doesn’t go with him. Awww. Oh, Brad finally got his kiss. Harv tosses his Sheriff badge to Charlie. So Sheriff’s can just do that? Cool.
End Film
This wasn’t bad, but this felt like more of the same but without the novelty. They tried changing certain dynamics, such as Charlie being a bounty hunter and Harv being on his own. They were limited with what they could do and they did as good a job as I think was possible. See, you don’t have to love Mick Garris’ films, but the effort is always there.
I think that it’s weird that despite Brad’s bigger role overall, he was less effective against the Critters. He seemed to have more ideas and was more active in the first one. And none of the new characters stood out at all.
Final Rating – 4.9 – It wasn’t bad. I just don’t think I would ever watch this again. If I did, my rating may go up to a 5.1 or 5.2 Not bad numbers for a sequel.
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