Tremors II: Aftershocks

After the huge love and deserved critical praise for Ron Underwood's 1990 film, Tremors, this in spite of poor box office and lead man Kevin Bacon disowning the film at the time, sequels were always likely. And so it proved.

Fred Ward and Michael Gross return from the first film and are joined by Christopher Gartin, Helen Shaver and Marcelo Tubert. Underwood hands over the directing reins to S.S. Wilson and co-produces instead, while music is by jay Ferguson and cinematography by Virgil Harper.

In spite of adding some new beasties into the mix, it all feels very same old same old, only without the funny script and any sense of peril. What made Tremors so strong was that even as it had its tongue in its cheek, homaging 1950s creature features with a proud sense of being, it was still scary and suspenseful. The characters there gave a believable sense of danger and fright, here it's just done for laughs, we never once think the principal players are remotely scared of the Graboids and their offspring.

Story has advanced for Earl (Ward) and Burt (Gross), where this time it's Earl who is romancing (Shaver under used but lovely) and Burt is all on his lonesome as his Mrs (Heather played by Reba McEntire) has left him on account of his love of war and weapons, a joke which grows old very fast here. Still, when the action isn't of the budget CGI kind, it's well staged and good fun, though Wilson's comic sequence shooting is flat, while Ward is a strong enough actor to carry the film to keep it above average.

Passably enjoyable for fans of creature feature movies without ever being an essential viewing choice. 5/10

Tremors 2 is not a bad movie. It simply lacks whatever made the first movie so special. The story is okay but it could of used more work. Having Fred Ward and Michael Gross back helped this movie a lot. I was disappointed to find out this was released direct to video. It has the potential to be a big screen release and could have made more. Overall, Tremors 2: Aftershocks is a okay movie. If you've seen the first movie, you might as well see this one.

Tremors 2 does a nice job of following the success of the first, without being too copycat or too ridiculous. The vibe is very much similar to the first, good humored and full of monster hunting goodness. The sequel also does a nice job of paying homage to those who didn't come back, while introducing new characters that fit into the plot well. All in all, a decent movie, if you go in with low expectations and a certain love for low budget, high quality monster movies.

Tremors II doesn't quite reach the heights or the pure fun of the first movie, but it is still a competent sequel and arguably second best in the series. The graboids are back, and this time in Mexico! The plot is fairly similar to the first except for some .. minor changes. Fred Ward (RIP) returns along with Michael Gross who both give stellar performances and really help make this film what it is. Giving us more than a few great scenes/quotes. Chris Gartin and Helen Shaver also giving fun supporting performances. The chemistry between all 4 really blossoms by the time the credits roll. Another tremors movie where the cast is very likable and worth our time. Fun opening scene, reasonable pace, and an amazing sequence when they're out hunting in the fields at night. The late 90's cgi monsters are kind of dated by today's standards but it's passable. I can still respect the vision but sometimes it looks like Walking With Dinosaurs or something. Another syfy channel classic, Tremors II is a solid 6 and a pretty fun watch.

Tremors, the first film, was top. A quirky, funny and strangely satisfying movie, you just wanted to see it again & again. Of course, Universal realised this, and decided to give us what we wanted - More Tremors.

Unfortunately, it just didn't exude the same qualities of the first film. Tremors II goes down the formulaic action-comedy route, steering clear of the original's quirkiness and subtle humour and replacing it with crass one-liners and in-your-face action scenes. Much of the team involved in the original film are present here, though it does feel slightly lost without Kevin Bacon. The young actor attempting to replace him gives a reasonable performance, but his character in the film is just a bit too streetwise and 'smart', and he doesn't make a convincing on-screen partnership with Fred Ward.

The plot is different to Tremors, but still contains the Tremor-creating 'graboids' that were present in the original. In fact, the special effects of these are one of the film's strong points. The camerawork & directing is passable, as are the performances from all involved. Will you enjoy this film? It depends. If you're looking for a straight-up action movie, then this wouldn't be a bad choice. If, however, you're looking for a good sequel to Tremors, you'll be disappointed. Overall rating: 5.5/10