“Jeepers Creepers 2” (United Artists)
Two years ago on Labor Day weekend a small budget horror film sneaked into theaters and caused some box office damage. “Jeepers Creepers” came out of nowhere and shocked audiences into making it a minor hit, and ultimately inspiring a sequel. Now “Jeepers Creepers 2” has arrived and it is even better than the first one.
The spooky “Creeper” (Jonathan Breck) of the first film is back and he is bigger and badder than ever. He is the legendary monster who rises up every twenty-three years and for twenty-three days feeds off the flesh of humans. Who is he What is he No one knows, but they do know – heeee’s baaaack!
At the start of the film a young boy is putting up scarecrows in a cornfield. He is arranging them like a trinity of crosses. Suddenly one of the scarecrows hops off the rack he is on and sails over the field, finally swooping down and carrying the boy away. The boy’s father, Taggart (Ray Wise), tries to save him but can’t.
Later a bus carrying a State Championship football team has a flat on Route 9. On board are the members of the team, a sports writer, the waterboy, three cheerleaders, two coaches and the bus driver. They try to radio for assistance but can’t raise anyone on their two-way radio or with their cellphones.
As darkness falls the “creeper” circles overhead and begins to swoop down and pick off various people from the bus. The fun and excitement of the film comes from seeing who will be the next victim. Will it be the smart-mouthed best player on the team, the cheerleader who is having visions, or the no nonsense bus driver You have to watch and wait and see.
This movie succeeds by being able to blend serious scares with bits of humor. Whether it is nervous laughter or really funny situations, the movie swings from humor to horror and back. And in the “creeper,” the moviemakers have created a sharp-toothed flying bogeyman who can cause panic with a flap of his vein filled wings.
The film also benefits from having Ray Wise as the avenging father. Wise cut his teeth on quirky horror with his role as Laura Palmer’s father in the TV series “Twin Peaks.” In this film he is so filled with hate for the creature that you know he is going to be a formidable opponent.
The movie is rated R for profanity and violence.
The movie has some flaws. Sometimes the “Creeper” is super human strong and at other times he can’t break into the bus. He snatches his victims up but where does he take them Are they still alive, dead, or somewhere in between And when does his power on the twenty-third day end Is it sundown, sun up, or somewhere in between
In the end none of these nit-picky aspects matter. “Jeepers Creepers 2” scores its points by being a fun, thrill filled movie that keeps its audience on the edge of their seats and sends them out of the theaters with a sigh of relief. It may not be a classic horror flick but it provides enough fun to be entertaining.
I scored “Jeepers Creepers 2” a peeping 5 out of 10.
