Rating: NR
Genre:
Horror
Theatrical Release: 12/23/1988(USA)
Release Date: 07/24/2001
Dubbed: English
Sound: 5.1/2
Run Time: 99 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity, Gore
Distributor/Studio: Anchor Bay
Horror fantasist
Clive Barker, director of the original
Hellraiser, maintained creative control over this worthy sequel as executive producer, but was unable to occupy the director's chair due to his involvement on other projects. His creative touch is still quite evident here, as the original film's story is expanded in scope and intensity. The story picks up immediately after the events of the original, with the mentally unbalanced
Kirsty (
Ashley Laurence) confined to a mental hospital after her experiences in the hellish domain of the grotesque Cenobites, which included the gruesome death of her father. Her case attracts the attention of hospital director
Dr. Channard (
Kenneth Cranham), whose marked interest in her story has more than a little to do with his research into the occult. The chief focus of this extracurricular activity seems centered on his impressive collection of puzzle boxes, many of which are versions of the Lament Configuration -- the device which opens the gateway to the Cenobites' dimension. To further realize his diabolical obsession,
Channard conducts grisly human sacrifices to resurrect the body of
Kirsty's evil stepmother,
Julia (
Clare Higgins) -- who has literally been through hell and back. He also recruits mute autistic patient
Tiffany (
Imogen Boorman), an expert at solving puzzles, to decipher the correct version of the box.
Haunted by visions of her mutilated father suffering in hell,
Kirsty joins
Tiffany in hopes of rescuing him from the Cenobites' dimension.
Tiffany gains them access to the portal, and they make the nightmarish journey down the corridors of hell. Narrowly escaping the diabolical
Pinhead (
Doug Bradley), they come face to face with
Julia, who has already handed
Dr. Channard over to the Cenobites to be transformed into a hideous new creation. First-time director
Tony Randel acquits himself nicely, and seems to have a real flair for the surreal material; the script by longtime
Barker collaborator
Peter Atkins elaborates on elements only hinted at in its predecessor. It should follow that the slightly larger budget would allow ample room for this expansion, but the production values actually appear somewhat slimmer. What the film lacks in refined style it makes up for in utter dementia, particularly in its depiction of graphic bloodletting -- numerous scenes were trimmed or deleted altogether in order to obtain an R rating from the MPAA.
~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
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