Review: Lost Boys 2: The Tribe
Now, I'd heard that this was supposed to be terrible except for Cory Feldman, but regardless I was determined to see it the moment I learned of its existence. It seemed strange (and slightly clutching at straws) to try making a sequel 21 years later (and especially hearing that it was straight to video). So, now that I've seen it...
It's not quite as bad as I figured it might be, but then it lacks a lot of what made the first film successful. The Lost Boys was (and still is) a classic vampire film that despite being firmly rooted in the 1980s still manages to stand the test of time: never growing old, never dying. Like so many other films that are classics one of the main things that makes it so are the memorable lines.
"Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots. How do they taste?"
"If you read the T.V. Guide, you don't need a T.V."
"What, you don't like rice? Tell me Michael, how could a billion Chinese people be wrong?"
"Now you know what we are, now you know what you are. You'll never grow old, Michael, and you'll never die. But you must feed!"
"I think I should warn you all, when a vampire bites it, it's never a pretty sight. No two bloodsuckers go the same way. Some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode, but all will try to take you with them."
Amongst so many others...
However, Lost Boys 2 doesn't have such originality. It seems to spend too much time making "clever" references than taking the time to actually make new memorable lines. This isn't to say that there aren't a few moments that made me chuckle, but on the whole it was severely lacking in originality. Of the few quotable lines ("Build a man a fire, he's warm for a day. Light a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life!") they feel forced, unlike the first film in which they seemed natural.
Angus Sutherland simply doesn't have the same on-screen charisma and intensity of his older half-brother, Kiefer. Sure, he's supposed to be a surfer, but for the lead villain he's just too laid back and doesn't ooze presence. I'm not going to say he's a bad actor since I've seen good actors give bad performances under poor directors (I'm looking at you, George) and I've not seen him in other films (mostly because he hasn't been in much) to judge.
While the storyline is mercifully not a carbon-copy of the first film, it does lack some of the more interesting layers. It's not saying that Lost Boys 2 is actually as bad as most people make it out to be. I enjoyed myself watching it, but it's certainly not anywhere on par with the first film. Corey Feldman, while giving a great performance, still lacks the kind of writing that really made Edgar Frog such a cool character.
If you do watch it, however, be aware that there's an extra scene part way into the credits. Now to be honest, I don't really understand this scene, though I shan't spoil it other than it is yet another self-reference the story of which may well have made a much better sequel... or worse. I dunno.
And if you haven't watched The Lost Boys then why the hell not! Run, do not walk, to your nearest video rentals and rent, nay, demand it. Meanwhile, The Lost Boys 2: The Tribe should not be viewed by anyone who has not at least seen the original - which is another thing that makes it a poor sequel.
Summary: A tolerably entertaining enough film so far as sequels go, but a considerably weaker film.
It's not quite as bad as I figured it might be, but then it lacks a lot of what made the first film successful. The Lost Boys was (and still is) a classic vampire film that despite being firmly rooted in the 1980s still manages to stand the test of time: never growing old, never dying. Like so many other films that are classics one of the main things that makes it so are the memorable lines.
"Maggots, Michael. You're eating maggots. How do they taste?"
"If you read the T.V. Guide, you don't need a T.V."
"What, you don't like rice? Tell me Michael, how could a billion Chinese people be wrong?"
"Now you know what we are, now you know what you are. You'll never grow old, Michael, and you'll never die. But you must feed!"
"I think I should warn you all, when a vampire bites it, it's never a pretty sight. No two bloodsuckers go the same way. Some yell and scream, some go quietly, some explode, some implode, but all will try to take you with them."
Amongst so many others...
However, Lost Boys 2 doesn't have such originality. It seems to spend too much time making "clever" references than taking the time to actually make new memorable lines. This isn't to say that there aren't a few moments that made me chuckle, but on the whole it was severely lacking in originality. Of the few quotable lines ("Build a man a fire, he's warm for a day. Light a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life!") they feel forced, unlike the first film in which they seemed natural.
Angus Sutherland simply doesn't have the same on-screen charisma and intensity of his older half-brother, Kiefer. Sure, he's supposed to be a surfer, but for the lead villain he's just too laid back and doesn't ooze presence. I'm not going to say he's a bad actor since I've seen good actors give bad performances under poor directors (I'm looking at you, George) and I've not seen him in other films (mostly because he hasn't been in much) to judge.
While the storyline is mercifully not a carbon-copy of the first film, it does lack some of the more interesting layers. It's not saying that Lost Boys 2 is actually as bad as most people make it out to be. I enjoyed myself watching it, but it's certainly not anywhere on par with the first film. Corey Feldman, while giving a great performance, still lacks the kind of writing that really made Edgar Frog such a cool character.
If you do watch it, however, be aware that there's an extra scene part way into the credits. Now to be honest, I don't really understand this scene, though I shan't spoil it other than it is yet another self-reference the story of which may well have made a much better sequel... or worse. I dunno.
And if you haven't watched The Lost Boys then why the hell not! Run, do not walk, to your nearest video rentals and rent, nay, demand it. Meanwhile, The Lost Boys 2: The Tribe should not be viewed by anyone who has not at least seen the original - which is another thing that makes it a poor sequel.
Summary: A tolerably entertaining enough film so far as sequels go, but a considerably weaker film.