‘Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.’
Return of the Living Dead Part II is a 1987 American zombie horror comedy film written and directed by Ken Wiederhorn (Shock Waves; Eyes of a Stranger). It stars James Karen, Thom Mathews and Dana Ashbrook.
The film was released by Lorimar Motion Pictures on January 8, 1988, and was a minor box office success, making over $9 million at the box office in the United States against its $6 million budget. It is the second of four sequels to The Return of the Living Dead.
The film has a lighter tone as it was partially aimed at a teenage audience; however the misleading trailer suggested it was darker. The main protagonists, Jesse and Lucy, share the last name ‘Wilson’, suggesting that they are related to Burt Wilson, the main protagonist of the first film.
Plot teaser:
A military truck is transporting barrels of Trioxin when a barrel breaks loose and falls into a river. The next morning, a young boy, Jesse Wilson, is at the cemetery with two local bullies. The trio investigate the Trioxin tank, and Jesse warns them that they should not tamper with it. The bullies trap Jesse in a derelict mausoleum and leave him. They then return to the Trioxin tank and manage to release the toxic gas.
A van pulls up to the graveyard, introducing the characters Ed, Joey, and Brenda. Ed explains to Joey that they are there to rob graves; Brenda expresses her fears for cemeteries, but Joey assures her that it will be worth their time and leaves Brenda in the van. He heads into the cemetery with Ed. They decide to loot the mausoleum and open the locked doors, releasing Jesse, who immediately runs home…
Reviews:
“Even though the tone is a bit different from the original, the effects and overall look of the film is still intact. The zombie makeup and designs are just as grotesque as before, with decaying bodies and rotten faces looking especially devilish, while the atmosphere is locked in that foggy haze from right out of a nightmare. It’s interesting to see that same kind of visual potency that the original was able to conjure up, is intact in the sequel, and it’s a nice touch that lends to the credibility of the series.” The Lucid Nightmare
“I’m not some stodgy genre purist who frowns on the idea of tossing in some humor into the mix, but if you’re going to include comedy, make it funny. That’s why it’s called “comedy” and not…whatever Return of the Living Dead Part II serves up. All the suspense of the original has been sapped away, and the pacing shuffles around aimlessly. It also puts an annoying kid in a lead role, which is never, ever a good idea unless your target demographic is in junior high (which might explain why I liked this movie so much when I was in 7th grade). The writing’s poor. The acting’s lousy. The direction is uninspired. The closest thing to praise I can muster is that the poster art is pretty neat, but I wouldn’t pay $15 to get it.” Adam Tyner, DVD Talk
“Scenes are lifted, story arches are repeated and the same jokes are retold; though this time it’s all done with less emphasis on risqué black humour and more on keeping the Saturday night family-TV crowd entertained. Never is this more obvious that in the Michael Jackson Thriller-esque dead rising from the graves opener and whether it’s zombies putting their glasses on, or comically stepping on each one-another’s heads, it’s slap-stick comedy central and I honestly don’t think I’d have much problem letting my eight year watching it all.” Watching the Dead
