Happy Death Day is one of those films I’m still working out whether or not my original review was too harsh. Do I hate it more because it’s not what I wanted it to be as opposed to what it actually is? I’m not really sure I can answer that fully, but I’ll at least admit that maybe I was a little harsh in my original review.
So, let’s take a look at the sequel. Happy Death Day 2U, and
Scott Lobdell is not really a name you want to associate with a brand anymore
so he’s gone and director Christopher Landon is now also on writing duties.
The film had a tiny $9m budget, still an increase over the original budget and despite not being as successful as the original, it still made money, $64.2m and that’s enough to greenlight another sequel. The reception critically was pretty similar to the first film but a few people have marked it as a step down, which seeing as I wasn’t happy with the first film is disappointing. Still, going in with low expectations, let’s see what’s delivered
OK, so the day after Happy Death Day, Ryan, Carter’s
room-mate from the last film ends up caught in his own time-loop complete with
his own baby-face serial killer. Things happen and the killer as unmasked to be
another Ryan
<OK Kids, this is where it gets complicated>
So the time-loop that Tree was stuck in came as a result of
Ryan’s sciency thingamabob which did some sciency things and caused the time
loop. They activate the machine again because of reasons and this time Tree is
sent back into the time-loop, but in an alternate dimension where things play
out a little differently. For one thing, her mother is now alive.
So, there’s a bit of a bait and switch, the opening implies
that it’s going to be Ryan’s movie, but no, it’s definitely Tree’s story. So,
Tree’s in a parallel universe where her mother is still alive and she wants to
stay but they do kinda need to close the time-loop which requires her dying
again and again so she can remember the algorithm required to use the science thingamabob.
This film drifts even further away from the murder mystery
that intrigued me so about the original premise, with the reveal of the serial
killer being there just to be an element of the climax, without much real build-up
or dread as there had been in the previous film. In universe, the target of the
serial killer isn’t even among the main cast.
And yes, it once again has to do with the victim sleeping
with the teacher and… pass me a bucket. I know the student is college age so
technically above the usual age of consent which honestly makes it better than
most but if I never see this cliché again, it’ll be many years too soon.
The film does have moments that very derivative of the first
film, a lot of it very much intentionally. As it’s attempting to provide on the
narrative of the first film. The montage of deaths is an example of this, and
this time they go all out with the method of death, are you sure you don’t want
the serial killer to catch, some of these deaths seem more painful. My favourite
though is the bikini skydive because a) why in the bikini and b) the awfully
super-imposed shot of Tree falling right between a conversation between Carter
and Danielle, whilst giving the finger with both hands.
The one place where this movie rather delivers for me is its
comedy. It’s pretty self-aware this time around too, par for the course of Tree
already having been through it. And everything is elevated by Jessica Rothe’s
performance as Tree.
Tree is not the unlikeable character with the arc she had in
the first movie. When she’s doing less than good things in this film, it’s
because she’s angry and that anger is justified given the circumstances. She
does have a habit of judging some of her former friends based on how they acted
in her dimension and Lori is actually the victim rather than the murderer in
this dimension, (she also advises that it’s not worth having a relationship
with the teacher so, well done there) The arc with her mother is a strong one
and an interesting counter-point to the first movie where a lot of her crueller
actions were motivated in resentment over her mother’s death.
OK, a few quickfire issues: They say that every death is
impacting Tree’s health again, this was stupid in the first movie and doesn’t
work here either. The mid-credits ending is kinda stupid. Does Tree have a
photographic memory that I wasn’t aware of otherwise how does she remember
these algorithms? The opening being from a completely different perspective
means it takes a good while to get to the point, the pacing for the first act
is a little off. Carter is pretty bland in this, in both dimensions. Did the
two Ryan’s thing ever get an explanation?
Maybe it’s the benefit of low expectations but I actually
enjoyed Happy Death Day 2u more than I did the first one. It’s not exactly a
great but it worked for me, what can I say?
Rating 65/100
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