Review of Happy Death Day 2U (2019) by Davrosdaleks1 — 17 Feb 2019

I was a big fan of the first Happy Death Day, a horror comedy that was basically a slasher meets Groundhog's Day. I was looking forward to this sequel, but I became a little apprehensive when I found out that this was going the Back to the Future 2 route and revisit the same day. The entire first film had been lead Tree Gelbman (played by the wonderful Jessica Rothe) reliving the same day over and over. I get that the movie was probably going to go at events from a different angle, but I was worried about them things and it seemed a little cheap getting Tree back into the exact same time loop after fighting so hard to free herself. But my worries were unnecessary, this wasn't a time loop movie, but a time loop that takes place in an alternate reality movie, which was different enough for me to work. In fact, this was a lot of fun and almost as good as the first one.

Happy Death Day 2U shakes things up in three ways to keep things fresh. 1) It shifts the feel of the first movie from a horror comedy to more of a comedy-comedy. There are a lot less killer attacks. (There are a couple well shot scares for what there are.) The movie's soundtrack has noticeabley changed from horror to comedy. The whole thing's pretty amusing. They have more fun as deaths get even more ludicrous from the first. A funny joke you may have seen in the trailer turns out to be better in full.

2) It finally explains what caused the time loop and gets all science-fictiony.

3) The aforementioned alternate reality. After a rather interesting fifteen minute or so opener that I won't spoil, Tree winds up in a new timeline where events are mostly the same, so we don't need to waste time having with a lot of new exposition, but there are small but important differences scattered throughout. Tree finds herself going up against a new killer, and the film's strength is built upon twisting expectations.

I liked that this managed to bring back all the main cast from the first. (Not to mention a lot of bit roles.) They're all likable. Still, the movie once againn rests on Tree's shoulders. Considering that the first film was all her reaching an emotional arc, you'd think they wouldn't have many more emotional places to take her, but it does. Tree has a big thing happen to her and she has to make a serious decision. Jessica Rothe makes this movie, whether being funny or sad. To be honest the basic plot is a little thin if you look back at the script intellectually. It is Rothe's charisma that guides the whole thing.

Keep through the credits. There is a scene in the middle you shouldn't miss. They're plans for a third installment and if it manages to stay fresh like this then I'm all for it.