Jeepers Creepers II

A disappointingly underwhelming sequel, Jeepers Creepers II, which picks up a few days after the events of the original, follows a school bus full of football players and cheerleaders as they’re stalked by the fearsome Creeper (Jonathan Breck) – with the movie also detailing the exploits of a grieving father (Ray Wise’s Jack Taggart) out to avenge the murder of his young son. The degree to which Jeepers Creepers II slowly-but-surely fizzles out is ultimately rather devastating, as writer/director Victor Salva delivers a stylish first half that’s brimming with strong, engrossing sequences – with, especially, the movie’s gripping pre-credits interlude, involving the abduction of Wise’s character’s aforementioned son, as stirring and riveting as anything contained within the first film. And although Salva does a decent job of initially peppering the school-bus-set scenes with intriguing moments (eg the Creeper menacingly indicates which figures he’s targeting), Jeepers Creepers II progresses into a midsection and latter half that grows less and less interesting as it progresses – with the most obvious problem here a proliferation of one-dimensional, entirely underdeveloped central characters (eg it was perhaps not the wisest decision to center the narrative around a group of jocks). The viewer’s inability to root for any of these people paves the way for a decidedly ineffective climactic stretch, which is a shame, certainly, given the heavy emphasis on Wise’s Jack and his final confrontation with the Creeper – although, at least, the movie does manage to end on a decidedly compelling and intriguing note. (It’s just too bad about those teenagers, ultimately.)

** out of ****