Review: Critters 2, The Main Course (1988)

Stars: Don Opper, Scott Grimes

Budget: 4 Million

Directed By: Mick Garris

Ok this is one of those rare instances where the second film is just as good or better than the first. Not that Critters is a brilliant film anyway but it is at least a decent Sunday afternoon/night watch.

Once again Don Opper is here as the bumbling Charlie, except this time he's a full blown bounty hunter!

So we see Charlie, Ug and Lee on a planet hunting for some alien. Which they find when Charlie is attacked by the beast, thankfully Ug shoots it off of him.
While back in their space craft they get a call from the high council telling them that trace signs of Crites are still being found on earth.

Charlie seems both hesitant and excited that they are heading back.

We then see Brad Brown on a bus heading back to his old town of Grovers Bend. The bus driver doesn't recognize him and proceeds to tell him about the reason why the town is famous. Brad knows why, its because of the Critters.

We then see some of the eggs from the end of the first film are found and sold to the town rag and bone man for some beers by a punk kid. He then sells some of them on to a children's day care centre as Easter eggs the rest are left near a heater.

Brad is noticed by the town paper and its owners daughter, Megan. The other reporter goes to tell the ex sheriff Corbin, he is not interested since the town voted him out.

Back at the junk shop the eggs next to a heater have hatched and the creatures has eaten the guys dog, which he notices. He tries to save himself but the tiny baby critters all attack him, eating the stool he's stood on until it collapses and brings him down among the carnivorous fellas.

When some of the hidden eggs begin to hatch in the church garden, the (reluctant) new sheriff dressed as a bunny is attacked by said critters. He busts into the church all bloody and half eaten, Brad instantly recognises this as critter attacks. The town paper however marks it up as an accident, Megan believes Brad though.

So much fun ensues as Charlie arrives back on earth just in time to save Brad and some others, along with Ug and a newly transformed into a playboy model Lee. Brads happy to see him too and can't believe he's a bounty hunter too.
The hunters kill lots of Critters, the Critters kill some towns folks, then ultimately kill Lee which send Ug into a weird mourning blank face mode. Then rest of the townsfolk band together under Corbin and fight back, they come up with a plan to get the critters into the hamburger factory and blow it up hopefully killing them all inside.

The plan goes off without a hitch and the townsfolk  rejoice at the deaths of the little terrors. Unfortunately the critters have banded together to form a giant ball of gnashing teeth of death. This is funny especially anyone they run over just ends up as a totally stripped skeleton. Brad notices Charlie has disappeared.

Now I won't spoil the ending as usual here on THN but i will say this film suffers a lull in the middle but comes right back with the Critter ball, the film is better than the first in this way where as the original was just generally good all the way through. this has some good highs but low lows.
Definitely worth watching if it's on one night or great to watch as a series binge. So THN awards Critters 2 a good 3 out of 5 stars with a recommend to watch.