Return of the Living Dead Part II

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Cast & Crew

James Karen
Ed

Thom Mathews
Joey

Michael Kenworthy
Jesse Wilson

Marsha Dietlein
Lucy Wilson

Dana Ashbrook
Tom Essex

Philip Bruns
Doc Mandel

Suzanne Snyder
Brenda

Allan Trautman
Tarman

Ken Wiederhorn
Director

Tom Fox
Producer

Eugene C. Cashman
Executive Producer

Ken Wiederhorn
Screenwriter

Robert Elswit
Cinematographer

Charles Bornstein
Film Editor

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Critic Reviews for Return of the Living Dead Part II

Audience Reviews for Return of the Living Dead Part II

• Dec 11, 2017

  Return of the Living Dead II would've been more acceptable had it been made by the same team and same man, but Ken Wiederhorn's effort unfortunately comes across as a poor imitation of something that is really quite great and genuinely amusing. The special effects are of a better quality and are still as ingenious and the actors do seem to understand the basic principles of their performances and what they should be - that the original actors knew of too - that made the original so great. It's occasionally funny, but will always be in the shadow of the far greater film that preceded it and what it so desperately tries to imitate throughout. For eighties Zombie sequels, you can do worse.
  Harry W Super Reviewer
• Oct 26, 2013

  Return of the Living Dead Part II isn't so much a sequel as it's a remake. Once again barrels of Trioxin are discovered and opened in a small community, resulting in the reanimation of the dead. The plot hits the same beats and recreates some of the same scenes of the original, only in slightly different ways. The tone however, is way too jokey and slapstickish. Some of it's funny (if for no other reason than how crazy it is), but most of it's idiotic schlock. Missing the darkness and clever satire of the original, Return of the Living Dead Part II is uninspired tripe.
  Dann M Super Reviewer
• Jul 27, 2011

  1.4/10 You know. Zombies are funny creatures. They walk about for nothing; they have no purpose other than to feast on the living and possibly create new zombies with each bite. But ever since "Night of the Living Dead", and perhaps even before that, they have been both funny and sometimes frightening to watch walk our streets. "The Return of the Living Dead Part II" is not a zombie movie. It isn't even a horror movie. Hell, it's funny; but it's not even a comedy. There's something wrong here; something very wrong indeed, and I think it is that this movie stinks of its foul odor. There wasn't anything worth liking. Whether the film's hilarity was intentional or not is not for me to say. It didn't feel like intentional camp to me; and I know what that feels like. Why am I always seeking shit like this out? I mean, I gave it a chance because I felt that the previous film, "Return of the Living Dead", was kind of clever. I gave it what it deserved; and I'll do the same for the ridiculously bad sequel. It's so bad that I almost want to run out and buy it so that I can expose those who I care about to its awfulness. Who knows? It might be fun for parties. Some small children are playing near a cemetery when they accidentally let loose the very toxic gas that was present in the first movie. If you remember correctly, when released in the air, this "toxic gas" could wake the dead from their seemingly eternal slumber, reborn as what we call "zombies". This happens again; oh yes it does. And believe me, that's all there is to it. The zombies walk the streets, there are a few central characters (some of which remind me of the characters from the original; this must have been intentional), and you better believe the story doesn't do much beyond that. In fact, "The Return of the Living Dead Part II" is a bore aside from its many scenes of dialogue; which are all, appropriately, hilarious. So maybe the word "boring" can't be applied without be sounding as ridiculous as the movie. I can't deny that I was entertained, but man, this was still bad as hell. When your gore scenes aren't even enough to entertain; hell, when you don't even HAVE enough gore scenes for your movie to feel like a good entry for its genre, then you are in a lot of trouble. There's an audience, a sort of cult audience that might like the film for its corniness; I can't say I'm not in there somewhere. "Part II" is ugly both visually and intellectually. It arrives with insanely lame dialogue and a lack of focus. It's being billed as a horror-comedy, but there's a difference between forced campy-humor and truly campy-humor. This certainly feels forced; very, very much so. As one of the worst horror films I've ever seen to not be a revolting, despicable, artistically devoid exploitation picture that makes me want to run for the nearest door and keep on running, "The Return of the Living Dead Part II" might deserve some solid recognition. I'd watch it again if only to laugh, but I'll tell you this; for the most part, it's pretty unwatchable. That is unless you are with friends; you are drunk, stoned, high, on hallucinogenic drugs; whatever floats your damn boat. There are many ways to (possibly) enjoy a movie as horrible as this one, and I can't list all of them. Maybe you can just watch if for yourself and see. Or maybe you can avoid it and save yourself some time. Why filth like this is ever released, I'll never know; and thankfully...I don't want to know.
  Ryan M Super Reviewer
• May 21, 2011

  The sequel follows on from the first with its very very basic and silly plot but this time it goes for the throat with full on comedy over horror and gory effects. The makeup and effects are again excellent and show what can be done with real hands on skills instead of just using CGI. This follow up is not as bloody and in your face as the first but more of a slapstick horror with icky green/brown pus favoured over ye olde claret. The odd thing in this sequel is they clearly follow the same plot route as the first. The plot is your standard zombie outbreak type of thing with toxic waste causing the usual problems, but it all feels like a reboot because the first film used toxic gas as the problem that causes the dead to rise from their graves. From there on its virtually the same spiel, literately!. The use of the same actors in the exact same type of roles, albeit with different names, is strange yet it doesn't seem to matter. The same type of humour and even the same dialog at times make this film feel like a rerun of the first film but with better effects and a lighter tone. Despite the positively evil looking poster art the film isn't very scary at all, its almost a spoof at times, but a very good one. An amusing 'Thriller' mockery moment at the end typifies how silly this franchise has become, but it is quite amusing I must admit. At the end of the day it still a very good horror comedy and doesn't take itself seriously at all which helps. I think the route they decide to take with this franchise after the first film was the right choice otherwise it would have just been seen as a Romero franchise ripoff. The actors are having fun in their roles and the special effects guys are having a blast with all the slimy gruesome gore. Its completely hokey and corny of course, but back in the day these films were fresh and popular and they still hold up today if you ask me. The ultimate popcorn flick and perfect for aspiring monster makeup wannabes.
  Phil H Super Reviewer

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