What began as a steamy summer day, somewhere in the depths of the Florida farm fields, soon turned into the most horrific nightmare the town of Bannon has ever experienced.
Cross Freddy Kruger with the Predator, give him wings and send him on a night-long rampage, terrorizing high school students as he pleases; this is Jeepers Creepers. Add the vicious hunger that must come from only being allowed to eat every 23 years, and let marinate. As tempting as this may appear, looks can be deceiving, and are in the last Friday's release of "Like a Bat Out of Hell: Jeepers Creepers 2."
Searching to capitalize on the success of the first installment of the Jeepers Creepers saga-to-be, MGM and director Victor Silva teamed-up for a second attempt at box office splendor.
The original "Creepers" was laced with many horror film staples - magnificent violence and gore come to mind - for the opening stanza or two, but tapered off gradually into a dull disappointment. "Creepers 2" is more balanced, keeping a steady pace throughout the duration of the picture. Though it may have been better paced, little else was improved. With little plot development in a story line that's shaky to begin with, as well as sub-par acting and several other shortcomings, "Creepers 2" begins right where the original left off.
The action immediately commences as young Billy Wise ventures off into adjoining cornfields and finds the terrifying Creeper nailed to a post like a scarecrow. The image of the scarecrow, nailed to a picket cross with crows on each side, in the middle of a cornfield is all too familiar, an obvious nod at "Children of the Corn."
Soon enough, the intense tone of a string orchestra blazes through the theater and Billy's running for dear life. His fate need not be disclosed.
Here the Creeper, whose appearance included the only mentionable gore throughout the entire movie, begins his campaign of terror. He is not aesthetically pleasing: greenish, jelly-like skin, with razor sharp teeth, bones bulging from under his sheath, with bat claws for feet and hands. Words can't fully portray the image of this otherworldly beast.
Suddenly, Silva moves the film to the ill-fated Bus 226, carrying the Florida high school champion basketball squad and its cheerleaders, as they traverse east on Route 9, victorious, gloating, and surely aiming at teenage debauchery. As in many mid-grade horror flicks, something predictable happens to throw the audience off track.
Obviously the entire bus, including the obligatory coach and Screech-esque equipment manager are in for a ravenous rampage at the hands of the Creeper. Follow the guidelines of your standard modern, cheesy horror film, use a bit of imagination, and one may just have the ingredients to conclude the story alone, money saved.
Whatever suspense lay in this movie is not worthy of any terribly overused movie clich?(c).
For the last 45 minutes of "Creepers 2", the timeless duel between good and evil carries on, with much less brutality and blood than anticipated, and a bit more humor than one may expect. Comic relief was everywhere, but where was the horror? It was almost a dark Jim Carrey movie with many more deaths.
When everything is said and done, some high school students are dead, the remaining are traumatized for life, and the Creeper lives on to feast another day.
Due to the fact that the Creeper was not killed, he'll have to wait for another 23 years, which in good hope, will be when the inevitable third installment is complete.
