The soul of the deformed boy that was killed in the original film is re-awakened in the form of a grotesque monster that seeks revenge against those who originally killed him and against the teens that brought him back
"I saw the original PUMPKINHEAD years ago, but with the advance of arcus senilis, I can't remember too much about it, other than I thought it was good. Hence, PUMPKINHEAD 2 isn't as bad for me as other reviewers since the first wasn't fresh in my mind. With that said, though, I admit the acting was pretty bad, particularly with Linnea Quigley, Steve Kanaly (Dallas), Roger Clinton (the hairy mayor?), and J. Trevor Howard (the villainous Danny). You can telegraph every death, but the effects are allright, if you keep your expectations at a lower level. The monster itself looked good sometimes, and bad at others. However, I've seen worse (for instance, TAIL STING..Now THERE'S A HORRORBLE MOVIE!!). Anyway, rent it sometime, but don't spend money on it."
1 Star and that's a stretch.
king_brahma | Castroville, Texas United States | 01/12/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Okay let me set a few things straight to clear some confusion. 1: Pumpkinhead in this film has no connection to the first film. (which by far was superior to this weak attempt of a sequel.) This is not Ed Harley nor his son come back from the dead as some seem to think in other reviews. And in some ways it is an expansion on the legend. Hence my 1 star rating. The first film was dark and rich in the flavor of the demon being a relentless killer. This should really be dubbed a prequel. It supposedly is the creature Ed Harley digs up but if one crunches those numbers it doesn't exactly add up. Now on to the things that really disappointed me about this film. I was blown away by Pumpkinhead. Being a long time fan of Mr. Winston's works behind and in front of the camera. Stan Winston's Pumpkinhead was a work of genius that should have been revisted yes but, not by someone of far less caliber of the original creator. Pumpkinhead of the first film seemed so lifelike and down right nasty in manner and appearence was do to Stan's amazing animatronic demon. PH2 is badly noticeble as a man in rubber suit job. The story was great (the background story not the ill handled plot) it added more to the legend when the research into the myth went on. The story of the myth itself was great but the story placed around it as the outer shell and ultimately lacking movie. It was made to obviously splash gore and sex into the film. The first left these elements out and stuck close to some of the old school formulas of horror. PH2 goes clearly for the 90's and mid 80's belief which still holds true to todays horror films I might add that sex and gore are the big draws to horror. Which in this reviewers mind can actually be a draw back to horror films. One scene with yes, that was the scream queen in this drivel of a sequel humping with a victim in a scene so badly thrown in just for the sake of having such a scene in this film. This follow up is a huge let down in many ways. It isn't even so bad it's good. I've seen movies so badly thrown together that they are worth watching to pick on but this one isn't such a film. The only redeeming quality is the deeper exploration of the Pumpkinhead lore. I advise watching Stan Winston's Pumpkinhead. This badly thrown together expansion is worth a watch for the moments we get a further peek into the demon's legend. As other viewers of this film put it: Pumpkinhead as mortal is a let down. The bad effects are a let down. The by far most heinous crime of this film would be the badly slapped together plot and acting and even directing of this movie. The only reason I will add this film to my collection is the fact that in all I am a Pumpkinhead fan and would ike to own it for the fact that it is related to the more superb first film. I am distrubed that a great horror film was mocked by this sequel. Most who saw the two and had expected more of the second film because of the first know how I felt upon seeing this picture. I wish sometimes that I never discovered that Pumpkinhead was followed up. Laters- Ace"
Should have been called "Son of Pumpkinhead"
S. Calabro | Totowa, NJ | 09/09/2001
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Pumpkinhead 2 is what you would expect from a horror sequel. Bad story and bad acting. In this one the demon isn't even the real Pumpkinhead,but his son (!?) come back from the dead. Hell, this one doesn't even follow the rules the first one set down. The gore is alright and there are alot of cameos in this movie. The ending even stunk because the real pumpkinhead was bulletproof whil this one isn't. Get the first Pumpkinhead, then pass up this one, unless, like me, you really want to see it"
Watch Pumpkinhead battle the fat kid from Charles and Charge
Sid the Elf | North Pole | 07/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We, Sid the Elf, made a great choice for this week's B extraveganza. We decided on a horror B from that golden age for the genre. Pumpkinhead 2 was made in 1994. Remember, this was after Freddy and Jason lost their appeal, before the awful Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer movies, and before the terrible The Ring ripoffs we're forced to deal with now. This was the era when you had to have a killer or monster, a cop or sherrif, and a group of rowdy teens who are the killer/monster's targets. Bing, bang, boom--instant horror movie. This might sound terrible, but it wasn't. These movies are the bedrock of horror B. Some of them are even incredibly enjoyable, like Pumpkinhead 2. Although, is it possible to not enjoy a movie when it features the fat kid from Charles in Charge, the guy who was obsessed with Donna Martin and took over the CU tv station in 90210, and Bill Clinton's brother? The answer of course is no it is impossible to not enjoy such a movie.
The plot of Pumpkinhead 2 is as simple as it is ridiculous. After being summoned through an evil spell by Punky Bruster(seriously), Pumpkinhead takes over the body of a freak who was killed 30 years prior. The freak was killed by an unfathomably fruity gang called The Red Wings. Perfect. The best part about these guys is that we think they were supposed to come off as tough. And let's just say that they fell short. The son of one of the Red Wings(it's making you chuckle a little everytime isn't it?)ended up being Danny, aka the guy from 90210. So now Pumpkinhead is after him and his freinds Punky Brewster, the fat kid from Charles in Charge, Booger from He Got Game, and the Sheriff's daughter. How could they have not casted Punky Brewster? She was one of the writers of the film and her outstanding performance in that Saved By the Bell episode put her right over the top. Just a tour-de-force cast. And it included a cameo by Roger Clinton. Yeah, the degenerate coke dealing DUI happy half-brother of President Bill Clinton. That adds a star right there. And how does this guy not have a reality show? It would be immensely entertaining to watch this guy call his agent to check for incoming scripts, call his brother to borrow money, then contimplate swallowing a bottle of pills everyday. Then what about the times when he has to interact with Hillary? See? The posibilities are endless.
So, Sid's theory on the reason for Pumpkinhead's barrage of killings is that everyone kept screaming at him. Yeah, he looked like a dinosaur of some sort, but yelling in his face really couldn't have helped the situation. The best was when that bald hillbilly screamed at Pumpkinhead, and they felt the need to show his ugly face for like 15 seconds. I think everyone watching was thinking "Damn, shut this old hick up." And you couldn't even finish the thought because Pumpkinhead backhanded the guy so freakin hard. The guy went right through a haystack or something. By far, the best moment of the movie. It was absolutely hysterical. It got rewound 3 times, a record bested only by the famous hicks being thrown off the truck scene in Halloween 4. Eventually, the sherrif figures out that the freak is Pumpkinhead because of the markings he leaves after he ices someone. They look like lesbian seagulls, but in red, or blood wings. Get it? Oh, boy! The sheriff actually met the freak when he was a nerdy kid himself, so I guess they had some kind of rapport. This led to the improbable scene in which the sherrif reasons with Pumpkinhead, a 7 1/2 foot creature that looks kind of like a dinosaur. But I'm sure he has wonderful communication skills.
If you're a fan of B horror, Pumpkinhead 2 was made for you. It has everything you could want, well almost. It has no story, terrible acting by d-list(at the height of their fame) actors and awful special effects. This is clearly illustrated when a certain character gets decapitated by Pumpkinhead. It's the worst fake head since Death Ring. Sid absolutely loved this movie. We saw it years back, loved it then and still do. The only thing that could have made it better was if Buddy and Charles joined the fat kid in the cast. You're telling me seeing Scott Baio getting torn apart by Pumpkinhead wouldn't make you happy?
"
Typical Weak Sequel
Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 10/30/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I should give this movie 2 stars, but it is not quite that bad, though it is bad enough. The original movie was imaginative and creative, but the sequel seems to fall into B-movie land without a look back. Worse, the legend of Pumpkinhead was rewritten, though it need not have been.
This movie stays solidly in horror movie cliché land from beginning to end. A group of teens torment a deformed little boy, eventually dropping the lad into a well. Years later another group of teens awaken the lad, only now he has turned into the evil Pumpkinhead. Murder and mayhem ensue.
The two big problems with this movie are that the basic plot shows little imagination and the acting is awful. Other than that, the movie is pretty good. Of course, the acting and the plot are the majority of a movie, and the special effects are nothing to write home about, so you have to start wondering whether two stars would have been a better choice. However, this movie is somewhat redeemed by a "boo" factor. Pumpkinhead appears (or throws bodies about) in a periodically scary way. Nothing like a monster jumping out from behind a building to give you a jump.
"Pumpkinhead 2" is not an awful movie. The movie does provide a few minor chills. However, the choice of the movie name is unfortunate. Other than the general appearance of the creature, reinventing the mythology is confusing for those of us that liked the first movie. Perhaps they should have called it "Pumpkinhead: Resurrection," and explained that Pumpkinhead creatures came from certain circumstances that are now repeating for the second time. Oh well. The movie is in the can and you have to either take it, warts and all, or pass it by. It's worth at least one watch if you are a diehard horror movie fan.