Poltergeist II: The Other Side Review

I've seen some bad movies, and this one has to be one of the worst sequels to a major release ever. Yes, it did manage to make some money, and yes it is reviewed positively by many that have fond memories of this film franchise, but let's just be clear, Poltergeist II is NOT anywhere near as good as the first film, it's seriously one of the worst attempts at cashing in on a good film, and really is embarrassing for everyone involved.

The film's plot is once again about the spirit world and how it is out to get a little girl. There are some interesting points but mostly the film relies heavily on the tie in about Native American burial ground that was exposed in the first film. There is a great deal of detail given to the back story of the first film and why Carol Anne is getting targeted by evil spirits. A tie in into a cult leader hits the audience over the head, and eventually there are some visual effects to supplement the terrible, slow pacing, and over reactions of the family members.

There is no major gore, no blood, and the pacing is a problem. The movie does star Craig T. Nelson and some other quality actors, but they seem to be phoning it in. The visual effects are laughable, but there is one memorable scene. There is a sequence where a young boy is trapped and buried with his own braces! That's right, brace attack! The braces also attack his family as they try to save him, and that was a unique way to trap a kid, although like I always say...it's taboo to kill a child, so that's the end of that. (He's saved)

I tried to watch this straight through, and it sucked. I couldn't really get into it, there were jarring points with terrible terrible editing, over acting and so much more. You can't possibly like this film. Sure, the legacy of the original over shadows the attempts to cash in on it, and maybe there are some out there that really get into the nostalgia of this film. But it's not that great.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side is NOT a great film, it's not worth it. It's really not worth watching unless you're already familiar with the film and like it. If you're new to the horror genre, you're going to be sorely disappointed by the lack of truly scary things. If you're like me, and can suspend disbelief, maybe you'll enjoy it. I can't get behind this one, it's just not that fun to watch, and lacks a certain entertainment quality that you'd expect from something with Poltergeist in the name.