Retro Review: Hellbound: Hellraiser II

It’s rare to see a sequel top the original film that spawned it, but Hellbound: Hellraiser II does just that. Many sequels usually don’t take chances and play it safe. A lot of the time they want to mirror what made the original work so well, but never bring anything new to the table. Hellbound doesn’t fit into this category and works so well by itself. Instead of treading familiar ground it takes the story in new directions that the audience doesn’t expect.

Where as Hellraiser was a more personal story and confined to a house, Hellbound literally opens up the doors to hell and lets us see beyond the looking glass of the body and mind. And once the audience enters those doors we’re thrust into a story that’s both twisted and perverse, but with deeper themes that you usually don’t expect from a horror film, especially a sequel. Which is another reason why Hellbound is very special.

Taking over the directing chair this time out is Tony Randel and writing duties went to Clive Barker’s close friend Peter Atkins. Both men worked very hard to create a story that was totally different from the first film. They expanded upon the mythology that Clive Barker set up in the original and created a tale that has a strong fairy tale quality that I enjoyed. There are lot of nods to Snow White, Alice and Wonderland, and even the earlier Universal Frankenstein films directed by James Whales. When Julia is wrapped in bandages and puts on the blue dress I couldn’t help but think of The Bride of Frankenstein.

They also created a vision of hell that the audience had never seen before. It’s a labyrinth of the mind that loves to play off your own personal desires and fears. It shows you the truth and if you don’t like it, tough shit. The god Leviathan has his own special ways of torturing the souls that venture into his world.

But my favorite part of Hellbound is Pinhead’s backstory and the introduction of Captain Elliot Spencer, who would come more into play in the next sequel Hell On Earth. It was interesting to see how Pinhead evolved in this movie from human to demon then from demon to human. The best moment in the movie is when Pinhead realizes he was once a natural man made of human flesh, and it comes off so good because of the way Doug sells the moment. He took something that could’ve come off as really silly and made it work beautifully. He showed why once again he’s the only person that can play this character.

I also enjoyed the new characters of Dr. Channard (creepily played by the excellent Ken Cranham) and the mute puzzle solver Tiffany. There are a lot of stories going on in Hellbound, but for me the true heart of the story lies between them. It’s a tale of obsession, mental domination, and finally revenge. I agree that the film does get lost in its ideas but all the stories in the film cling to these same themes. In a strange way the film is like solving a Lament Configuration in itself.

It was good to see Ashley Laurence back as Kirsty, and she’s even more tough this time around. When she thinks her father is in hell she wastes no time running strait into the furnace. Simon Bamford, who once again played Butterball, was recently quoted as saying,”if Kirsty had balls in the first film, they were filled with semen in the second.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Claire Higgins also returns as the resurrected Julia and this time she’s more even pissed off as the “evil queen”. Her role in this movie is a lot different than the first film and you can tell Higgins is having a blast playing the character in a more fantasy setting. It lets her have a bit more fun with the role than she did with the first film.

And Sean Chapman was  back as Frank and he’s still the bastard in hell that he was in life. He tricks Kirsty into thinking she’s come to save her father but in the end Frank only needs her to get a good lay. Thankfully, Kirsty overcomes him and Frank is finally finished off by Julia. Once again, good riddance.

On the effects front, Image Animation was at the top of their game. The make-up effects were all topnotch, especially the cenobite version of Dr. Channard, which goes up there as one of the best practical effects ever created. And the effects team must have been covered in gore everyday after shooting this movie. This movie was one gushing blood vessel. The infamous mattress scene being my favorite.

And once again Christopher Young created a score that not only topped the first one, but gave the film a totally different vibe and tone that didn’t remind you of the original. I loved the Hall of Mirrors scene (carnival music always freaks me out) and Leviathan’s main theme. He gave this floating God a character with the different sounds he uses to convey the emotions of this ever silent presence.

As far as complaints go, I’m in league with a lot of fans and wish the fight scene with the cenobites and Channard would’ve been longer, but I also agree with writer Peter Atkins assessment that the cenobites were left open and vulnerable to realizing they were once human. I also think Leviathan had chosen a new cenobite to represent hell with Channard. But overall it’s a great scene and I love the moment when Channard lets out his war cry after defeating them.

I also wished we could’ve seen more of hell entering our world towards the end. Of course as many of you know there were attempts by the filmmakers to bring hell into the story but sadly, the effects just didn’t work out.

Regardless, Hellbound: Hellraiser II is The Godfather II of Hellraiser sequels. It doesn’t make the original look bad at all but only compliments it by telling a bigger and better story. The two films work off each other great and not many franchises can say that. Give it a viewing again if you haven’t done so in awhile. It was well worth venturing through Labyrinth once again that’s for sure.