After the huge success of the original, Jeepers Creepers, it was only logical that we get a sequel. Jeepers Creepers 2 is a brutal creature feature that in some elements even surpasses the original. It works well as a stand-alone movie as this is a classic “monster chases and kills teenagers” horror movie. It will satisfy both the fans of the original and the newcomers. Mostly because the monster, the infamous Creeper, is now featured heavily. We will be able to see him in his full glory as he terrorizes a bus full of high schoolers.
Upgraded to a full-time villain, worthy of its comic-book counterparts, he’s scarier than ever. We learn more about him and his rules, but we also got a good counterweight to this with the character of Jack Taggart, adding revenge motive to this stirring pot. Jeepers Creepers 2 unfolds in real-time making it more exciting and pacier. Since the story is focused on a single bus, most of the budget went toward the visuals. This means that the movie looks and feels great, like one of those big comic book adaptations.
The CGI was good but the old-school practical effects were even better. The scene where the Creeper struggles to remove a metal bar stuck in his head was pure gold. There’s also an obligatory decapitation scene, a staple of early 2000s horror movies. However, Jeepers Creepers 2 has that eighties horror vibe that’s slowly starting to come back. After all, next year we will be getting a Dawn of the Dead remake. And all this let’s board up and defend against the monster vibe, reminds me of Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. The same goes for the humor that I wish was more present in the movie. I think this would’ve been a great horror comedy.
Every 23 years for 23 days it gets to eat. Day 22: Happy that they have won the championship, a group of high-school kids is traveling back home on their school bus. Driving through the night, suddenly something explodes. A shuriken made out of human bone just pierced one of the wheels. This means something bad is about to happen. This is the last day of the feast and human flesh is the only thing that will satisfy his hunger.
As you probably guessed this is another guilty pleasure, so don’t expect some convoluted plot or mesmerizing dialogue. Actually, this movie features a lot more comedy than the first part. Some of it was intentional and some of it, not so much. When you combine this with suspense and great visuals, you get one hell of a ride. The whole good vs evil motive, represented through the confrontation between Taggart and Creeper, further cemented the movie’s structure and made it much more digestible.
If you’re looking for movies like Jeepers Creepers 2, I must recommend a much better and funnier Feast. In the end, I have to mention Salva’s history. While he was making Clownhouse, Salva made a 12-year-old girl engage in fellatio and filmed the whole thing. He was sentenced to three years in prison and after serving his time, continued making movies. We’ll just have to lump him in with Roman, Woody, and the other artists with extremely wrong and disgusting moral convictions, but undeniable talent.
Director: Victor Salva
Writer: Victor Salva
Cast: Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck, Justin Long, Eric Nenninger, Nicki Aycox, Marieh Delfino, Diane Delano
Fun Facts: The shurikens or throwing stars you see in the movie Jeepers Creepers 2 are actually made out of cattle bones and metal. They are currently residing in some museum in California.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301470/
