6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
The Freeling family settles into a new home following the annihilation of their former residence by terrifying visitors from the netherworld. But the spirits of the dead are still hell-bent on luring the family's clairvoyant daughter Carol Anne to "the other side"!
Starring: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Oliver Robins, Zelda RubinsteinHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 28% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Turkish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Japanese only available on Japanese menus. Spanish dub from Spain is in DTS, Spanish American dub in DD
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Slovenian, Swedish, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Horror sequels almost categorically suffer from the law of diminishing returns, and Poltergeist II is no exception. It’s not nearly as scary as it’s predecessor, it lacks that distinct Steven Spielberg movie magic, and it tries to make up for these deficiencies by going way over the top with special effects. That said—and this is a big that said—I have a semi-irrational love for Poltergeist II that overrules all of my normal critical instincts. If I’m being as objective as possible, I know that the movie just doesn’t measure up to the truly classic first film. There’s no doubt about that. If pressed, I’d even admit that the sequel is sometimes laughably inept—an exercise in hokey plot devices, Native American stereotypes, and fuzzy metaphysics. But this doesn’t matter. Poltergeist II is fun, not just the usual, so-bad-it’s-good variety of horror film fun—though it is that, occasionally—but actual fun. You can’t help but enjoy how ridiculously far out it’s willing to go while still remaining completely straight-faced. What other film features a tequila worm monster, killer braces, a levitating chainsaw, and the wackiest failed doomsday prophet this side of Harold Camping?
Grandma?
Poltergeist II's Blu-ray debut genuinely surprised me. No, the film's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer isnt' the most breathtaking you'll encounter this year, but it looks far better than you might imagine, especially for a horror sequel from the mid-1980s. The print is in near-perfect condition—aside from a few scattered white specks—and the image is untouched by DNR, edge enhancement, or other unnecessary tweaks. While clarity is not quite as refined as that of contemporary releases, the picture is satisfyingly resolved, displaying more-than-sufficient high definition detail in the actors' faces, their clothing, and the gnarly practical effects. (I'm specifically thinking of the scene with all the wires, which looks fantastic here.) Color is vibrant as well, and balanced—never too dull or overblown. Black levels are adequately deep and contrast is spot-on. Finally, there are no compression troubles worth noting—no banding, macroblocking, excess noise, etc. Really, I have no complaints. This is much better than I expected the film to look.
The same goes for the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which may lack the continuous heebie-jeebies-inducing sound design of most modern horror movies, but certainly has its moments of sonic onslaught. The various supernatural goings-on are almost always accompanied by some stocky-but-well-meaning sound effects in the rear channels—you can expect lots of swooshes and swoops, electrical crackles and throttling chain saws— and there's occasional quiet ambience to fill out the experience. As with the first film, Jerry Goldsmith's score is an allure, and it sounds wonderful, with crisp brass stabs and rich strings. Dialogue throughout is clear and comprehensible, and the disc comes with a number of optional dub and subtitle options.
The only bonus feature on the disc is the film's theatrical trailer, in high definition.
Although I can't quite put my finger on why I like it so much, I've always had a soft spot for Poltergeist II. In many ways, it's the usual lesser-than sequel—a second cash-in, capitalizing on a blockbuster success—but as long as you adjust your expectations and accept that it's never going to be as good as the first film, Poltergeist II is actually a lot of fun. It looks good on Blu-ray too—surprisingly—with an all-new 1080p/AVC- encoded transfer that's cleaner and sharper than you might expect. All fans of 1980s horror take note.
Collector's Edition
1986
Fox Halloween Faceplate
1986
1986
Collector's Edition
1986
Collector's Edition
1988
1982
2018
Extended Cut
2015
2015
1983
2013
Unrated
2017
Haunted
2014
2015
2016
Quella villa accanto al cimitero
1981
2013
2012
2019
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
Collector's Edition
2003
2019
2010
Collector's Edition
2001