Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

TONY RANDEL

HELLBOUND: HELLRASIER II

UK, 1988

6.5/10

FOLLOW-UP TO HELLRAISER (1987)

"The mind is a labyrinth, ladies and gentlemen, a puzzle. And while the paths of the brain are plainly visible, its ways deceptively apparent, its destinations are unknown. Its secrets still secret. And, if we are honest, it is the lure of the labyrinth that draws us to our chosen field to unlock those secrets"

Reviews for other films in the franchise found here.

*Some spoilers afoot, all rather minor, but if you wish to go into the film 100% un-spoiled, it is best if you skip this review*

HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988) picks up right where the original HELLRAISER (1987) left off. Fans of the original can expect more of the same, yet while this film is a worthy follow-up, it is still vastly inferior.

Something that made the original so unique (even different from all of its sequels) was its use of the Cenobites: instead of using them to advance the plot, they use them to emphasize it. While the sequel does this in some regards, the plot of this film could basically be summed up as "Kirsty and some other forgettable characters fight monsters". The first 40 minutes of the film, before the gates to Hell are opened, are the film's strength: keeping the spirit of the original and still feeling strangely frightening, though it is too similar to the plot of the original to stand on its own. I, for one, preferred Claire Higgins's performance as Kirsty's step-mother Julia in this film to her performance in the original, though she was written better in the original. But once the puzzle is solved and Hell is opened, the film loses much of its strength.

Dr. Channard begins the film as a wonderfully creepy villain, but the second he becomes a monster similar to that of the Cenobites, he loses all of his power, and even defeats the Cenobites so easily that any fear you may have held at the beginning of the film is instantly lost. The last ten minutes of the film is a mess as director Randel tries and fails to create any tension or suspense, and the Leviathan being incredibly disappointing, and the final "twist" (though it's honestly more of a "reveal") is forced, unnatural, unoriginal, and boring.

Part of the reason I love the original is because it is so character- driven in a genre filled with characters who just let things happen to them, rather than being the force behind everything in the film (the Cenobites, as I said before, are more of an epilogue/conclusion in the original, rather than the entire plot). While many people argue that the film cannot be enjoyed because almost every character is, in some way, shape, or form, extremely unlikable and complicated, yet this is, in my opinion, what adds to the film's strength. All of the characters are human, which adds a level to the film, as it is much easier to place yourself in the characters's shoes. The sequel, however, lacks that character complexity, with all of the new characters being clichéd, one- dimensional shadows of people, and even some of the recurring characters lose some of their complexity.

Still, for all of the films downfalls, it also contains a lot of strengths. The scene in which Tiffany finds her own personal Hell is probably the creepiest in the entire film, and Frank's Hell is rather intriguing and disturbing. The beginning half of the movie truly delivers, and is up to the standard that the original had, and before Dr. Channard ruins them, the Cenobites are quite threatening, perhaps even more so than in the original. Pinhead delivers some truly great lines ("Your suffering will be legendary, even in Hell!", "But please, feel free, explore. We have eternity to know your flesh.", "It is not hands that summon us. It is desire."). The film delivers some backstory on Pinhead, which is interesting and creepy, adding to the quality of the film. All in all, the film is rather unique, even among the others in the series, and it will be difficult to find a film that is quite like this one. So, despite all of its mistakes and failures, this film still holds a special place in my heart.