PET SEMATARY II

Jeff Matthews moves to a new city with his veterinarian father, after his mother, the famous actress Renee Hallow, died following an accident on the set. Jeff doesn't adjust very well and among the acts of bullying from some of his schoolmates, the only one who shows himself as a friend is the equally maladjusted Drew, victim of the abuses of his stepfather, Sheriff Gus. After yet another argument with his son, Gus kills Drew's dog who, desperate, asks Jeff to accompany him to an Indian cemetery to bury his animal, since it is said that the dead who are buried there come back to life. Indeed, the dog returns but is changed, it shows itself more aggressive, and attacks Gus killing him. Drew and Jeff then decide to bury the man in the Indian cemetery, but things start to degenerate... Three years after the excellent "Pet Sematary," Mary Lambert returns behind the camera to direct the sequel of what had been a box office and critical success. Unfortunately, the perfect alchemy that resided behind the first film does not repeat itself, but the result is still a tasty b-movie that focuses more on irony and entertainment rather than on funeral reflections. What "Pet Sematary 2" perhaps lacks is a truly "strong" story at its base, in fact one can see a bit of the flaws of the sequel shot exclusively to ride the success of the previous film without there being a real need to add something to the original story. The plot, for better or worse, tries to replicate the structure of the previous film by placing at the center of the narrative the difficulty of coping with grief and triggering the crescendo of horror always through the resurrection of a pet (there a cat, here a dog), less unsettling but more formidable. In this case, however, Lambert, on a screenplay by Richard Outten, prefers to subordinate the characters to the events, which is explained by the prologue that already presents the "main" grief of the story and from which the static character construction of the protagonist develops, unlike the prequel in which Louis Creed's personality underwent a degenerative transformation, a slow and constant descent into an abyss of madness. Despite this, the characters that populate "Pet Sematary 2" are not deplorable at all, especially the two young protagonists Jeff and Drew, convincingly played by Edward Furlong ("Terminator 2: Judgment Day"; "Brainscan") and Jason McGuire (who will soon leave the scenes and here in his only significant role). They are the classic "losers" who frequently populate Stephen King's universe, overwhelmed by bullies - here led by Clyde/Jared Rushton - and ready to confront the supernatural horror as a test for a metaphorical inner growth. Among all, however, perhaps the character that will most remain in the minds of the viewers is the wicked sheriff Gus, played by a Clancy Brown ("Highlander"; "Pathfinder") in great form. The idea of inserting some ironic scenes - which have almost exclusively the "resurrected" sheriff as the protagonist - perhaps was not a great idea, since in doing so the oppressive aura generated inevitably by the themes treated is diluted too much, thus giving a somewhat more farcical tone to the entire film. Excellent the work of the makeup department curated by the specialist Steve Johnson ("Videodrome"; "Big Trouble in Little China"; "Nightmare 4: The Dream Master") that reaches its peak in the successful final climax, entrusted abundantly to the special effect rather than to the buildup of tension. Excellent also the rock sound soundtrack that includes pieces, among others, by the Dramarama and the Ramones (who also appeared in the soundtrack of the first film). "Pet Sematary 2" was practically massacred by the critics and did not receive a great reception (especially financially) from the public. An excessively nefarious reputation because, although far qualitatively from the prototype, this sequel is nevertheless an honest horror and endowed with good rhythm that is worth watching and remembering with pleasure.