Pet Sematary II (1992)

Exactly. You have to have fun when doing movie criticism sometimes, especially when it comes to sorry films like "Pet Sematary II". Believe it or not I like the film slightly more than most other people, but that is not saying much because this is a movie that has basically no following. It is early-1990s Maine, a few years after the original, and once again a new family has moved into the sleepy community. Anthony Edwards is a veterinarian that has no ideas about the titled place and son Edward Furlong (basically destroying the short celebrity status he had after "Terminator 2") is still reeling emotionally after his actress mother's death during a freak studio accident. Furlong meets the chubby Jason McGuire (an adolescent disenchanted with sadistic step-father Clancy Brown) and he soon learns of the town's history and the fact that some things in life (or death) can indeed be changed. "Pet Sematary II" is a studio project all the way. The first was a minor box office success and it naturally spawned this one. This is not from the mind of Stephen King and thus the short series falls even further down the cinematic ladder. Director Mary Lambert (who also directed the original) once again shows her short-comings as a film-maker with an uneven pace that is not helped out by a sophomoric screenplay and sub-par performances across the board. By far not the worst horror flick I have ever seen, but still a movie that ranks real low in the American cinematic machine. 2 stars out of 5.

Fmovies: This is a sequel that has no connection to Stephen King. The only thing carried over from the original is the same location. Parts of this film are gory while violence over shadows the horror. This movie has been struck with a mean streak.

A young widower(Anthony Edwards)moves with his young son (Edward Furlong)to an old town in Maine. After hearing the legend of the pet cemetery where sometimes the dead are revived; he wants to take his mother from her grave and place her in the special burial ground in hopes of her rejoining the family. The boy's best friend's stepfather is proof that the legend is true. Some of the strangest scenes are funnier than they are scary. But don't rest easy for there are times you will flinch.

Also in the cast are: Clancy Brown, Jason McGuire and Lisa Waltz.

While shooting a horror film, the famous actress Renee Hallow (Darlanne Fluegel) dies in a weird accident. Her ex-husband, the veterinary Chase Matthews (Anthony Edwards) decides to leave Los Angeles and move with their teenage son Jeff Matthews (Edward Furlong) to Renee´s house in Ludlow to start a new life. Soon Jeff is bullied by his schoolmate Clyde Parker (Jared Rushton) and befriends the teenager Drew Gilbert (Jason McGuire). When Drew´s stepfather Sheriff Gus Gilbert (Clancy Brown) kills his dog Zowie, Drew buries his dog with Jeff in an ancient Indian cemetery that has the rumor of raising the dead. Zowie returns and kills Gus and they bury him in the cemetery. But soon the boys learn that sometimes death is better.

"Pet Sematary II" is a forgettable sequel of Stephen King´s "Pet Sematary (1989). Directed also by Mary Lambert, the plot is weaker and unoriginal. The one-dimension lead actor Edward Furlong keeps the same expression when is happy, sad, bullied or whatever. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Cemitério Maldito II" ("Damned Cemetery II")

Pet Sematary II fmovies. Some of the scathing reviews from those who preferred the original PET SEMATARY rather than this sequel, are misleading, no matter how well-intentioned these viewers were. This horror film, full of the kind of touches evident in any Stephen King story, is really much better than these reviews would have you believe.

The premise, of course, is a silly one--that burying dead animals or human beings in a specially cursed Indian sematary will bring them back to life, deadlier than ever in evil intent. But once you get beyond that, there's enough fright and scares invoked by the script and by the clever direction of Mary Lambert, particularly in sequences involving Clancy Brown. His return from the grave is marked by some really scary and howlingly funny moments that give the film a sense of life it otherwise would have lacked.

She has also directed her two youthful protagonists, Edward Furlong and Jason McGuire, in such a manner that she gets skillful performances from them. Furlong has a glowing presence that fits the material beautifully and McGuire has a naturalness that is refreshing and real.

And the story actually covers a lot of ground, everything from bad parenting to bullying from one's peers and lots of revenge motifs that lead to some truly harrowing moments. Alas, it's true that much of the action has a mean-spirited slant but all of it is somewhat softened by touches of real humor.

Worth a look if you enjoyed the first PET SEMATARY.

Clancy Brown(Gus) is the man. He was hilarious in this. I know this movie isn't as good as the first but I don't think it was supposed to be. The first was dark, creepy and really awesome. This has wit and is funny not to mention enough gore to keep any horror fan satisfied. Watch it with not many expectations and you'll find it to be a laugh riot.

The ancient Indian cemetery with the power to raise the dead returns and influences the lives of new residents.

I must say, good or bad, I am glad director Mary Lambert returned for the sequel. As the first was her creation, it seems only fitting to let her take the characters and concepts where she wants to go with them. Had another director handled it, the film could have lost any flavor of the original that might exist. (There is some similar tone and such, which I think keeps it a strong sequel.)

I love the young Edward Furlong (during his career peak) and Anthony Edwards with a beard. Great casting that keeps this film relevant even if it carried over pretty much nobody from the original. (I say "pretty much" because I think it has no one, but a minor character might have made it past me.)

The film as a whole has received negative reviews, but the fact is that the original really is not that great. Although a modern classic, and a pop culture gem, it is not actually a critically good film. So the sequel by horror standards is not bad -- it actually maintains the level of the original.