Gate II (1990)
** (out of 4)
This sequel tries to follow on from the original movie and now it features Terry (Louis Tripp) trying to close the doors that were originally opened. Things don't go as planned as soon he and three friends unleash the minions and two of them decide to try and get some wishes granted.
I must admit that I really wasn't expecting too much out of this sequel and especially since I wasn't overly thrilled with the original movie. There's no question that this film had a much smaller budget to work with and this is obvious during the special effects scenes. With that said, I really thought the movie was entertaining for what it was. Was it a masterpiece or an Oscar-winner? Of course not but it wasn't trying to be. I'm guessing fans of the original aren't fans of this one but for the most part I found it to be entertaining.
For me the best thing about the movie were the four lead characters and performances. I thought Tripp, Simon Reynolds, James Villemaire and Pamela Segall were all very good in their roles and I thought their performances helped make the film all the more entertaining. There's not always monsters or action on the screen so we needed the characters to keep us entertained and for the most part they did. I liked hanging out with them and felt they added to the entertainment value.
The special effects aren't as good as the first film but they are practical ones and for the most part they look good enough for this type of "B" movie. If you're expecting a lot of gore then you'll be disappointed because there isn't much, although there is a great sequence where one character begins to melt in a bathroom. With all of that being said, there's no question that the material wasn't the greatest and there certainly wasn't anything overly original here.
GATE 2 isn't a great movie or even a good one but it's pleasant enough and worth watching.
