Director: Robert Fuest
Year: 1972
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
Three years after his last rampage, Dr. Anton Phibes is resurrected and seeks a map to Egypt that will give his wife life again, and discovering the truth about the mystical map alerts an old group of nemeses of his resurrection who race to Egypt to stop the madman's plans.
Review:
It isn't the out-and-out classic the first one was, but this is still a great film regardless. Just as in the first one, one of the finest points is the overall feeling present, as this is still a nice, campy ride. Seeing Price return to the role is a great deal of fun, and the amount of screen time the film gives him causes that. We have a lot of great moments that just prove to be a collection of camp strung together because Phibes is now out and about in the world where his threat is greater. No longer stuck basing the deaths off the ten plagues of Ancient Egypt, he can let his imagination run wild, and this lets in some pretty ingenious set-pieces as he is now no longer bound by the confines of London to spread his vision.
That this is a road movie allows for greater and more elaborate deaths, which is a great advantage, as instead of guessing when Phibes would attack, here it's a where and with what, and that gives the film a little extra suspense. The film also has a great sense of set design, and there are some wonderful sets here. The initial Egyptian design is one of the best, and it looks suitably forgotten in the ruins, and the final location sets are just simply breathtaking to behold. It certainly ends the film on a positive note that few other films in this particular style often do. This also goes along with the rather strong finale, where the action is quite fun and thrilling within the catacombs of the pyramid and really lets us side with him during this section of the film when it's needed the most.
These here really hold it up, as there isn't much really wrong here. The biggest issue here is that the opening flashback to the original wasn't one of the best ways of getting a movie started. It spoils too much of the first film and didn't really do much to bring new information to light. The narrator was the final straw for the scene, as it just completely ruined the mood of the scene. It's one of the few times that a film opens on a downward note. Just as in the first one, the fact that Phibes still talks with the voice-box is a disappointment. Even though it doesn't make sense to change it, as it wouldn't really fit well with the movie, the fact that it's still here is a hurdle to overcome for Price fans. There is also something different in the campiness in this one over the first one that doesn't make it as fun. It's an indefinable quality, but it is there. It's still a fun, campy movie, but not like the first one.
Overview: ***.5/5
A solid if problematic follow-up to a classic, there are some enjoyable elements within this one that make it a watchable sequel despite clearly not reaching the status of the original. Viewers with an appreciation for this era of genre fare, who enjoyed the original, or who are fans of the creative crew will have the most to like, while most others out there should heed caution.
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