⭐⭐☆☆☆
Directed by: Don Coscarelli
Starring: James LeGros, Reggie Bannister, Paula Irvine, Angus Scrimm
Picking up after the events of the original, Mike is now older and still obsessed with stopping the Tall Man. Teaming up with Reggie, the two hit the road, tracking funeral homes and trying to put an end to the nightmare once and for all.
With a bigger budget and studio backing, Phantasm II clearly aims to expand the scope of the first film. It leans more into action-horror territory and tries to deliver something larger and more cinematic.
On paper, that sounds like an upgrade.
In execution, it’s a mixed bag.
Angus Scrimm remains the standout. The Tall Man still carries that eerie presence, and his performance is easily the most consistent element across the franchise.
Reggie Bannister is fun and more central this time, bringing some personality and energy to the road-trip structure. However, the recasting of Mike is noticeable. James LeGros does a solid job, but the emotional continuity from the first film feels off.
The performances overall are serviceable, but nothing here elevates the material.
Don Coscarelli had more money to work with, and you can see it. The set pieces are bigger. The explosions are louder. The action is more pronounced.
But in gaining scale, the film loses some of the strange, dreamlike atmosphere that at least made the original feel unique.
The pacing improves in spots, but the story still feels thin. It becomes repetitive — chase the Tall Man, encounter weird obstacle, move to the next location. The mythology expands, but it doesn’t necessarily deepen.
It feels like a sequel trying to be bigger without fully understanding what made the first one memorable.
The practical effects are improved and more ambitious. The sphere sequences are still creative and fun, and there are moments where the gore and creature effects shine.
The production design benefits from the increased budget, and some sequences look genuinely impressive for the late ’80s.
That said, the tone sometimes clashes. It shifts between horror, action, and almost campy moments without fully committing to any of them. The score and atmosphere never quite reach the unsettling heights they’re aiming for.
I appreciated that this one tried to do more. It feels less amateurish than the original and more confident visually.
But at the same time, it didn’t pull me in any deeper. I wasn’t more invested in the characters. I wasn’t more scared. I wasn’t more emotionally attached to the outcome.
If anything, it feels like a more polished version of the same structural issues the first film had.
I respect the ambition. I just don’t connect with it.
There are a few fun action-horror moments and some cool practical effects worth revisiting. But as a full experience, it’s not something I feel compelled to return to regularly.
Final Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ☆ ☆ ☆
Phantasm II benefits from a larger budget and more visible ambition, but it doesn’t solve the franchise’s core issues for me. The mythology expands, the explosions get bigger, and the road-trip angle adds movement — but the emotional and narrative depth still feels lacking.
It’s a solid effort with some memorable moments, but it never fully locks me in.
For me, it’s another interesting chapter in a cult franchise that I respect more than I truly enjoy.
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