Critters 2: The Main Course review
Two years after the modest success of Critters we returned to the town of Grover’s Bend for another round of little monster action. The result was a bigger, better movie. Critters 2: The Main Course raises the stake, widens the scope, and ups the fun factor.
Classic movie reviews will contain spoilers.
Critters 2: The Main Course
Directed by Mick Garris
Written by David Twohy and Mick Garris
Starring Scott Grimes, Terrance Mann, Liane Alexandra Curtis and Lin Shaye
Critters 2: The Main Course Review
Last week we wrote about Bride of Frankenstein…perhaps the first sequel to surpass the quality of its predecessor. No small feat given that it was following a masterpiece. Critters 2: The Main Course didn’t arrive on the heels of a movie quite as good…but it can be put into the same bucket of sequels that surpassed the original.
Critters 2 improves upon every aspect of the original. It begins by expanding the story to the entire town as opposed to largely relegating it to a single family’s farmhouse. In fact, the family from the first movie is gone this time around. But not entirely. The story begins with the return of Brad Brown (Scott Grimes) to Grover’s Bend. The town has moved on from the first critter invasion and has labeled Brad a crazy person…yelling about little monsters from outer space. Of course, we know he’s very sane.
The bounty hunters return to Earth in search of the newly hatched critters. Charlie, the town drunk who left with them in the original film, is homesick so the trip suits him just fine. The bounty hunters weren’t the best prat of the original Critters…but they are a real highlight here. The comedy works with them in a way that it did not the first time around. There’s more personality and bigger action pieces for them to take part in.
With the critters back in action…the town eventually figures out that they’re idiots and that Brad was correct all along. The critters can do a lot more in Critters 2 than they could in the original. We get the larger scale mayhem that the first movie lacked. We also see the town band together to battle the little monsters they previously denied the existence of.
Back too (although recast) is Sheriff Harv (Barry Corbin replacing M. Emmet Walsh). He wants no part of the critters…but returns in time to save the day and blow away multiple Krites. Lin Shaye returns as Sally, given a lot more to do this time. She’s always a joy to watch and Critters 2 utilizing her more was an easy win.
The main thing that elevates Critters 2: The Main Course above Critters is that the comedy works better. Yes, it has a bigger scope. It’s true that it makes better use of its characters. But what matters most is that this is a really fun movie. The critters being more active certainly helps…but this is also a much funnier script. Director Mick Garris keeps a consistently entertaining tone that makes each scene work.
Everything in Critters 2: The Main Course has more personality. The town has more character, the characters have more to say. The critters themselves are more expressive and wilder than they could be before. The presentation of the bounty hunters is much more entertaining. Bigger action, bigger laughs. Everything that you’re looking for in a sequel.
Critters 2 also finds time to fit in a moving ending through a well-earned character arc. Charlie sacrifices himself to save the town that once looked down on him. It’s a somber and moving ending to his story. He screams “I’m a bounty hunter!” as he crashes his ship into the critter hoard. Proud to have finally found something he belonged to. Fellow bounty hunter Ug changes his face to take on his lost friend’s persona.
But Critters 2: The Main Course isn’t interested in leaving us with a downer ending…it’s intent on being fun. Charlie emerges from the wreckage unharmed. The town is rejoiced to see their hero…Sheriff Harv tosses him his badge…affirming that Charlie belongs in Grover’s Bend after all. It’s the payoff to two movies…two good movies. The second being the better of the two.
Scare Value
Earning the label “the best Critters movie” doesn’t even mean as much as being “the worst Gremlins movie”…but it’s not nothing. Critters 2: The Main Course is a very good movie. It’s funny and delivers the critter action that the first movie could only hint at. The franchise would have a steep decline following this. At least we’ll always have this very fun gem.
4/5
Critters 2: The Main Course Links
Streaming on Tubi
Rent/Buy on VOD from Vudu
Rent/Buy on VOD from Amazon
Buy The Critters Collection on Blu-Ray from Amazon
Critters 2: The Main Course Trailer
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