The Second Coming of the Creeper (Jeepers Creepers II (DVD))

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Jeepers Creepers II (DVD)
Date:	14/04/08 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The film is fairly interesting, 104 minutes elapse extremely quickly here.

Disadvantages: Not scary, not particularly original, and certainly not the best sequel in the world.

In 2003 the second 'Jeepers Creepers' film in the series emerged from the director Victor Salva. Having been quite a fan of the original film I was looking forward to seeing this and it certainly didn't disappoint. It's not as good as the original I feel, still however it's a decent film from Victor Salva and one that I have now watched a number of times. The plot line is predictable, the film doesn't follow on particularly well from the original, still however I find 'Jeepers Creepers 2' to be interesting and enjoyable.

Set a few days after the original film, 'Jeepers Creepers 2' tells the tale of a high school basketball team returning home after a big Championship game. They become stranded on the East 9 Highway after two wheels of their coach get suddenly punctured; one after the other. As well as the basketball players, cheerleaders and the coaches are also present here and one of the cheerleaders has been having strange dreams. She has dreamt that a strange being is following them and has deliberately thrown sharp objects at the wheels in order to halt the coach in its tracks. This is no ordinary dream, what she has here dreamed about is truly happening; every 23 years the Creeper awakens in order to feast on human flesh and he is here targeting this coach load of people to be his next victims.

The appeal of the original I feel is that it's not until quite late on the film that you see what the Creeper actually looks like. It's mysterious and you watch in great anticipation as slowly more and more is revealed about the Creepers identity. With 'Jeepers Creepers 2' we already know what the Creeper looks like and there is therefore not this element present here. Right from the word go we get to see the Creeper, the appearance is instant and this second film therefore loses much of the edge of the original. Although the mystery is all but gone here, this in turn means that we see more of the Creeper in action and there is resultantly a lot more action than there ever was with the first film. It's swing and roundabouts really, personally I much prefer the original film but still 'Jeepers Creepers 2' takes an interesting angle and provides for an excellent viewing experience. It's by no means a classic horror film, it does however provide for an excellent 104 minutes of entertainment. It's action packed and the film therefore doesn't seem very long at all, always the on screen action keeps you enthused and holds your full undivided attention.

'Jeepers Creepers 2' is not a horror film to be taken seriously, it's a bit of light-hearted fun and if you watch it expecting a scare then the film will no doubt disappoint. The film contains a large degree of humour I feel, it's not a comedy horror film however it definitely possesses a large amusement factor about it. A number of scenes you certainly wont be able to take at all seriously, and the film definitely doesn't provide for any scares. The film plays with horror conventions, it doesn't utilise them to provide for tense or horrific scenes but it does use them in order to compel. There's never a dull moment with 'Jeepers Creepers 2', it's predictable and doesn't unveil any shocking twists but still it is done well and remains interesting throughout.

The basketball team on the bus are not a particularly likeable bunch, you don't really feel for them and ultimately don't care too much about what happens to them. I feel that this is sometimes better than liking them with horror films sometimes though as you enjoy it more when bad things happen to them without having to feel any sort of sense of loss. We warm to no one particularly and really we're not meant to, we learn little about the characters and to us as viewers these people are really quite dispensable. The film is enjoyable but there is little emotional attachment here, the plot progression is interesting and visually 'Jeepers Creepers 2' excites; cerebrally however we feel very little. This film is not about being intellectually engaging, it provides for an enjoyable viewing experience but is certainly not designed to make you think.

As well as the angle of the students on the bus, a farmer and his two sons are also drawn into the equation here. The film actually begins on the farm where one of the farmers sons is taken as prey by the Creeper. Although much of the film is spent purely with those from the bus, the farmer and his remaining son arrive late on in order to exhibit their revenge on the Creeper. It's an interesting element of the film, not particularly inspired however and little here really happens. The film as a whole is quite interesting, it does not provide for compelling viewing from start to finish however and all in all is really quite an average affair. It's an entertaining but ultimately entirely forgettable film which serves a purpose of providing a little light entertainment without ever going any deeper than this.

'Jeepers Creepers 2' was the last released film in the series, for several years now though there have been rumours of a third emerging. I never thought there would be a third but it would seem that one may well appear. The film has an intended title of 'Jeepers Creeper 3: The Creeper Walks Among Us' and if rumours are to be believed then the film may well bring back characters from the first two films in the series. As a third film is yet to emerge I can't yet comment, what I will say however is that 'Jeepers Creepers 2' is definitely worth a viewing. It's not the best film you will ever see but certainly isn't a bad one either. The 104 minute run time of the film is absolutely perfect and I personally find this film to be greatly enjoyable even if it is hugely predictable. You may not want to watch this too many times so it might be worth renting rather than outright purchasing, still though I would definitely recommend giving 'Jeepers Creepers 2' a viewing. Expect this film to be predictable yet fun and you will be entertained, watch this with the view of it providing a scare however and you will not.


Director: Victor Salva
Year of release: 2003
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Runtime: 104 mins
BBFC Rating: 15

Summary: 'Jeepers Creeper 2' provides for an interesting but not particularly inspired 104 minutes of fun.