featured
Film Review
Review: ‘Happy Death Day 2U’ Delivers Twice the Slasher Fun of the Original
February 13, 2019Sherry Li
|
The sequel to the surprisingly charming 2017 slasher flick, Happy Death Day 2U is an entertaining continuation of the franchise that doesn't hold back on the fun. Christopher Landon returns as director, adding a writing credit to his name this time around, with the story following a fairly similar premise to the original. College student Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up again and finds herself trapped in a time loop, forced to relive the day she dies over and over — however, this time the plot is definitely more complex, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Questions left unanswered from the original are addressed, and characters, like Ryan (Phi Vu, who reprises his role as Israel Broussard's character Carter's roommate) play a much larger role, as the time loop is different in this second instalment. Everything has changed, and Tree has to figure out whether she wants to stay in the timeline she's in or return to the one she left. Once again, Rothe does a fantastic job as Tree. She is always a pleasure to watch on-screen, bringing lots of laughs and a little bit of heart to a character that could have seemed silly or too much in someone else's hands. The plot, though predictable at times, still offers viewers a very different experience than the first and is equally enjoyable (if not more so). Though Happy Death Day 2U leans very heavily on the comedic side of the horror-comedy niche and lacks some much-needed blood and terror, it delivers on its ridiculous premise and is an entertaining ride all the way though. There are no shortage of throwbacks to the original movie, which serve as nice Easter eggs for those who have seen it; however there's also a quick summary explaining the plot for those who haven't. That said, this sequel is still a blast to watch but loses the elements of intensity and suspense that benefited the previous instalment, leaving the ending feeling a little anticlimactic. Otherwise, this makes for a fun date night movie — Happy Death Day 2U is nothing controversial, nothing serious, but it sparks plenty of discussion afterwards. Happy Death Day 2U releases February 13th, 2019 from Universal Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for violence, language, sexual material and thematic elements. Its runtime is 1 hr. 40 min. |
0 comments