Director: Jack E. Bell
Year: 2022
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: Curse of Humpty Dumpty 2
Genre: Killer Dolls
Plot:
Arriving at a special class trip, a group of troubled schoolgirls is sent to a remote commune-like setup run by a Green-Earth practitioner and his wife to help treat them of their problems, but when they realize the whole experience is a front for a doll-worshiping cult must get away alive.
Review:
This was a fairly fun and likable sequel. Among the better factors here is the strong setup featured here that gives everything a fun starting point to let the chaos emerge. Going strong on the idea of the groups’ conflicting viewpoints as the girls’ more modern tech-savvy mindset and focus that leaves them directly opposed to the organically-run farm they stay at is the right way to go for this kind of feature. It sets up the idea that their sarcastic and self-centered mindset is supposed to make them appear catty and vicious by contrast but instead makes them more sympathetic due to the psychotic conditions at the retreat that they rightfully ridicule and mock. Once it starts to dawn on them that the whole experience is a front for what’s happening with the doll and the connection it has with the owners, there’s some decent tension to be made here the longer this goes on.
That leads to a nice bit of fun here with the cheesy scenes of the doll going crazy and getting tons of stalking scenes set up within here. Seeing the opening scene of it getting brought to life and attacking its creator is a fine touch to introduce everything, and that extends to the goofy later scenes of the doll coming to life to attack the group. Taking out the one victim after getting into the shower, chasing the snooping victim in the tool shed, or stalking the victim through the compound where they get caught in an unusual manner offers up the kind of goofy features that are generally silly enough to give this some positive factors.
There are some big issues involved with this one. The main drawback to the film is the absolutely nonsensical plot here trying to connect the purpose of the facility with the need to use the doll. Using the cover of a self-sufficient composting society to try to run the world on cleaner energy is a fine enough motivation such that the connection with the doll has very little purpose as he seems completely tacked into the setup seemingly for name value as it makes little sense how a wish-granted demonic doll requiring human sacrifices fits into that setup. It doesn’t hurt that this is done by such a flimsy pretense of trying to tie it into the nursery rhyme that this whole section of the film, one of the most important features here, brings this much of an issue is a big factor to be had here, much like the overall low-budget look that runs throughout here which all manage to bring this one down.
Overview: **.5/5
An enjoyable follow-up that has some issues with it, this is a decent enough sequel that manages to be a lesser if still watchable effort that is a weird diversion in the franchise. Viewers who are fine with the issues present, appreciate this kind of indie effort, or are fans of the creative crew will have the most to like here while most others out there turned off by these factors should heed caution.
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