The Descent: Part 2

Entertaining but nowhere near as good as the first
The Descent didn't need a sequel. It was a pitch-perfect horror film, one of the best I've seen in the last decade or longer, that incorporated high amounts of tension, a desperate struggle, some amazing jump-out-of-your-skin scares, great characters that you actually cared about and just the right amount of gore. I loved that film. Its original UK ending was also such a great, sad and interesting way to close it out. But apparently, The Descent: Part 2 decides to forgo that horror classic ending and instead uses the American/"happy" ending. It's interesting to note that the sequel is "Part 2" as opposed to simply The Descent 2. It indicates that it is an extension of the first film, as opposed to a sequel. As such, to discuss Part 2, I'll have to talk about the first one. You've been warned.

The American ending of The Descent finds Sarah crazed and amnesiac with fear of her plight from the previous film, running to a rescue truck. During the time she and her team...

An Unnecessary and Poorly Done Sequel
Against my better judgment I picked up this direct to video sequel at Fry's for $20. Well, that's $20 that would have been better spent using as toilet paper, it certainly would have proven more useful.

The first Descent was easily one of my most favorite horror movies ever, it was original, well acted, and extremely well done. It was a horror movie that reaffirmed what I have always said, you don't need a huge budget to make a great horror flick, as the Descent was certainly made on a modest budget. I own the special edition which contains both endings, and I MUCH prefer the original ending than the US ending. Supposedly Americans wouldn't be able to handle the darker, more depressing ending of the original, so they pulled a Spielberg on the ending and had the main character escape the caves. This Descent II begins where the US version ends. As I never do in my reviews of movies, I'm not going to get into the plot because someone else has covered that already I'm sure...

The Descent 2 surprises!
When the first film, The Descent, hit theaters, I saw it 3 times. The movie is one of my favorite horror films of recent times. When I heard a second installment was being made, I felt bittersweet about it. I went into the film both excited and apprehensive because in most cases, sequels rarely come close to being as effective as the original. THIS however is not the case for The Descent: Part 2!

One of the most common questions about this film is "Why would the lead character, Sarah, go back down into the cave after barely making it out alive in the first place?" and that question is answered very well and makes perfect sense when you watch the film. The story line and atmosphere, while very similar to the first, are still VERY effective. The film brings the suspense as well as the gore.

This film plays out much more like a continuation of the first story than a sequel, almost as if "To be continued..." should have shown before the credits of the original...

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