Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Pet Sematary Two’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

While sequels are something that plenty of movie going fans often lament, I have to be honest in saying, that they outright fascinate me. Because ‘part two’ is no simple prospect, since the folks behind the scenes have to expand a world that someone else built all while giving the audience something new and exciting to enjoy. To complicate matters further, sometimes the creative powers that be have quite the difficult task ahead when they have to figure out how to tell a fresh story, when the first movie in the franchise did a phenomenal job of wrapping everything up.
 
Which, has to seem like a near impossible prospect because when everything is wrapped up in a neat little bow, how the heck does someone continue the story? It’s a task so difficult that most genres straight up avoid even attempting to make something like that happen, knowing full well it would anger the fans. But in horror, well…it’s often challenge accepted. Because a universe where bad things happen in horrifying fashion seemingly has endless possibilities to tell new stories when others have come to their logical conclusion and for proof, look no further than the 1992 film, Pet Sematary Two.
 
Because the first motion picture in this short but storied franchise, ended in flawless fashion. The dead came home to roost and Louis Creed was forced to pay for the sin of playing with evil that he doesn’t understand. And while it seems the prospect of Rachel walking around would be the only loose end, I think we all know that would have been dealt with quietly in some form or another off screen. So, how does one make a sequel out of an enclosed story such as that? Well, by introducing new transplants to Ludlow, Maine, who haven’t a clue of what happened here, which allows for the terror to start anew and quite frankly, this move works plot wise and allows for an entertaining ride as watch the Matthews and Gilbert families deal with the prospect of life after death. 
 
But, while a fresh start to the terror sounds like a fascinating prospect, the depth and the power of the original film simply aren’t present here and that does make this sequel a tad subpar when all is said and done. Because this movie also relies on more dark humor to tell its respective tale and that paradigm shift in storytelling design is supremely noticeable and makes this more of a popcorn flick than a genuine horror flick but not all is lost in this one. For there are some incredibly creepy moments to be found in this movie here and there, and there is one standout performance to make mention of as well because Clancy Brown steals the show in this movie.
 
Because his journey as Gus Gilbert, one that involves death and resurrection, really shows us how far this terror can go when a person comes back from the dead in this manner and the delicious zest and zeal and depth and range Clancy brings to the role makes his time on screen a real treat through and through. If anything, this is a serviceable sequel when all is said and done, and worth a look for its more over the top moments. But, don’t expect this one to be anywhere near as intelligent as its predecessor and that’s a shame, because with a little more care this could have been a genuinely amazing sequel, but its poor box office performance and overall lukewarm reception would help to bury this series for quite some time, to the point where starting over with a remake of the original, seemed like a far better prospect.  

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