Review of Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) by Justin A — 19 May 2015

Forgettable and a major step down from the first movie. This one (while having some good ideas at times) is not scary and somehow slower and more tedious than the first movie (that was very well paced). The special effects are great and the real highlight of the movie, especially in the last act. The new villain Kane is intended to be frightening, but sickly looking quakers don't really give me the chills. Heather O'Rourke does an okay job again, but now being a bit older and acting exactly the same makes her character seem really strange (obviously this movie is supposed to take place immediately after the first, but she's much older looking now). Will Sampson is very good in a role he's very familiar with: Wise token Native American.

Poltergeist 2 is a movie full of pretty neat ideas, but some hiccups in the execution. It just comes across really corny at times when in the first movie there were genuine scares. Still, the special effects make this one worth a look if you have the time, but don't expect anything in the league of the first movie.