Jeepers Creepers 2
By Ellen Fox
Special to the Chicago Tribune
September 20, 2003
1 1/2 stars (out of 4)
The original "Jeepers Creepers" (2001) was about a
brother and sister preyed upon by a winged,
people-eating, scarecrow-like monster as the siblings
drove home from college.
By the end there were as many questions as there were
mangled bodies, not least of which was what the Creeper
was, what the recurring song "Jeepers Creepers" had to
do with anything, and why "every 23 springs, for 23
days, it gets to eat."
With "Jeepers Creepers 2," writer-director Victor Salva
had the opportunity to answer some of these questions,
or at least to deepen the mystery and anxiety that
surrounds them. Instead, this tiresome sequel shows
them to be what was originally suspected: arbitrary
horror elements that add up to just another disposable
creature feature.
The film takes place during the final days of the
monster's 23-day feeding period. In a sun-baked field,
a blond farm boy is hanging up scarecrows when, to his
papa's horror, one of them snatches him away.
The Creeper's back in accursed Poho County, or still
around from his first visit - the chronology is
unclear. His mask may be a little drippier now (a blend
of Freddy Krueger, Swamp Thing and Alien), but he still
has the floppy hat, tattered overcoat and bat-like
wings.
Cut to a yellow school bus ambling down barren Route 9,
packed with the victorious Bannon High Bantams on their
way back from a basketball game. A tire blows, and the
teammates, cheerleaders and adult chaperones find
themselves stranded … and trying to fend off the hungry
Creeper.
We spend most of this overlong movie with the bus,
watching the kids bicker as they get picked off, and it
all feels fairly flat. Whereas the shorter original
simply followed two siblings around the sticks (which
kept the anxiety more focused), here there are about a
dozen trapped teens to bother with. When working with a
confined-space plot device, it helps to define what
each character's deal is; it not only creates tension,
it allows us to tell everyone apart. Unfortunately, the
film differentiates between the kids only by way of
insult. They pick on each other for being gay or black
or wussies or bad psychics. (As in the first film,
psychic visions do little to elucidate things.)
Despite valiant efforts from the Bannon High gang, the
Creeper still can't be bested, and we still don't know
his origins or psychology - which not only would have
spiced things up, but could have pointed to some of his
weaknesses. Chalk it up to lazy exposition on the
film's part.
The only clue to the Creeper's vulnerabilities is that
they are inconsistent. He can he take a javelin through
the head and drag a pickup truck down the road, but
barely put up a fight when one kid finally gets him in
a chokehold. Maybe he was getting worn down.
One has to make similar leaps of faith when it comes to
original elements that are missing here. Where did the
snazzy killer truck go - the truck that the Creeper
liked to drive even though it could fly? And its song,
the title of the movie? Eh, maybe it's sick of Johnny
Mercer.
Horror movies don't have to make sense in the real
world, but when you have to help their internal logic
along this much, it's pretty much a cue for heckling -
or checking your watch.
"Jeepers Creepers 2"
Written and directed by Victor Salva; photographed by
Don E. FauntLeRoy; edited by Ed Marx; production
designed by Peter Jamison; music by Bennett Salvay;
produced by Tom Luse. A United Artists release of an
American Zoetrope production; opens Friday, Aug. 29.
Running time: 1:46. MPAA rating: R (horror violence,
language).
Jack Taggart - Ray Wise
The Creeper - Jonathan Breck
Izzy Bohen - Travis Schiffner
Minxie Hayes - Nicki Aycox
Scott Braddock - Eric Nenninger