Watch it at Amazon
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Under-rated horror sequel with some cleverly orchestrated shocks, 1 May 2005 Author: davideo-2 from United Kingdom
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs In the late 1800s,a black slave falls in love with a young white woman whom he was hired to paint a picture of,the daughter of a wealthy land-owner.When he discovers about the affair,he hires an angry lynch-mob to go after him.His right drawing hand is severed,he is drenched in honey and stung to death by a swarm of hungry bees.Years later,he returns to New Orleans in the swing of Mardi Gras,eager to take a young school-teacher who is the reincarnation of his love in his previous life.The name Candyman will come to have a chilling and devastating meaning-especially when said into a mirror five times.Of course a successful film like Candyman was going to garner a sequel,but everyone,much like the angry mob in the film,had their blades drawn eager to rip it to shreds.There have been many poor horror sequels,but this is certainly not one of them.It's main quality lies in the way in skillfully orchestrates some clever shocks and jump scenes making it work in it's function as a horror movie.Of course these aren't so scary after the first time you've seen it and know when to expect them,but the film also has a dark,eerie substance and style flowing through it,complimented by a neat soundtrack.For those who's horror movies flow on gore,there's plenty of that on offer too (enough blood,in fact,to keep those blood donor adverts off TV for a year.)Many will say the film is unnecessary and,to a degree,maybe they're right.But I'd be more prone to say it's just under-rated.****
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Decent enough but inferior sequel to fantastic original, 1 March 2008 Author: t-birkhead from United Kingdom
This was a movie that didn't really need to have been made. The first Candyman did just about everything with the concept that needed to be done whilst keeping the character himself full of mystery and menace. The relationship between the Candyman and Helen was wonderfully drawn, and any sequel would have an insurmountable example to follow. This said, I dug Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh quite a bit. Kelly Rowan makes for an appealing heroine, she can act, she's pretty and it's funny to see her pre The OC. Tony Todd is fearsome as ever, although the dialogue isn't up to the standards of the first. The music is pretty much the same I believe, maybe with slight alterations, and it works. Director Bill Condon keeps the film tightly paced and watchable and has a nice sense of atmosphere, although the film doesn't really deliver scares. The handful of kill scenes are nicely bloody and vicious, but the scenes are more efficient than scary. They are fun, and a strong point of the movie, but they just don't have the impact you expect from the Candyman. The strong story and acting are the best thing about this, keeping the film constantly watchable and fun and developing the character of Daniel Robitalle in interesting ways. All considered, I say this is a decent film with a number of cool moments, definitely worthwhile for the horror fans although its best to forget the majestic original before watching.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Good Sequel, 25 January 1999 Author: Keith-78 from Pennsylvania
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is actually a good sequel to the successful original. This one goes more in-depth than the original as we find out how Candyman came about and we see how he was killed. The plot is somewhat similar to the original. Candyman has moved from the slums of Chicago to the streets of New Orleans, during Mardi Gras. A schoolteacher named Annie Tarrant, whose father was murdered "Candyman-style" a few years earlier, does not believe in Candyman and says his name 5 times into a mirror to prove to her students he doesn't exist. Wrong move Annie. Soon after she does this a series of brutal murders occur while Candyman seduces her to "Be with him". Lots of bees and blood in this good sequel!
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Decent follow-up to a classic, 21 April 2006 Author: slayrrr666 (slayrrr666@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, Ca
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
"Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" isn't all that bad of a sequel.**SPOILERS**As New Orleans is getting ready for Mardi Graus, art teacher Annie Tarrant, (Kelly Rowan) is worried that her brother Ethan, (William O'Leary) won't stay out of trouble long enough to help her long enough to find her missing father. As she begins looking back on her childhood to find answers, she comes into repeated contact with the legend of Daniel Robitaille, the Candyman, (Tony Todd) and she can't understand why. As more bodies pile up and she begins seeing the Candyman appearing at all the murder locations and even haunting her, she looks to the past to stop the madman.The Good News: The "Candyman" series, I think, is actually pretty underrated, and this one is pretty good. The fact that this one goes back to his origins and explains his history a little more is a great feat, and one that was sorely needed after being introduced in part 1. It continues the storyline logically, and isn't a mere retread of part 1, which is also refreshing. The film also manages to capture the eeriness of the original with the amount of suspense in here. The general atmosphere surrounding the film is perfectly creepy, and a large part of that is the New Orleans setting. It has a built-in creep factor that gels quite nicely with the atmosphere that the first one fills. Mixing in with the atmosphere is a pretty brutal series of kills. People are slashed up with the hook in just and the deaths that accrue are nice and gory. From the stabbings in the back to being split open, it's a nice blood-soaked affair. The best part of this film is undoubtedly the last thirty minutes, as everything comes in and makes the film end on a complete high note. Everything from deaths and gore to jumps and suspense, it features everything that a film should do to wrap itself up. Not that the rest is bad, but the ending is great. It even sends the film out on a great jump that is pretty unexpected and works beautifully.The Bad News: The pace to get started and get things going is one of the few things I can cite against. The reason for the storyline is the cause for it, but that's the way the story goes and is not the fault of anyone or anything else. That means that the beginning of the film is a little slow until the bodies start piling up and the visions come.The Final Verdict: Get around a few slow scenes and this is a quite good entry in the series. The last half is a real bang-up job, and there is some gore spread throughout to keep you interested in it until then. Fans of the series will want to give it a shot, and those that enjoy a little more thought to their slashing will find some good stuff inside.Rated R: Graphic Violence, some Language, very Brief Nudity and a shot of a dead animal
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Not to bad for a sequel., 3 March 2005 Author: Prolox from Canada
The Candyman is back, this time he sets his sights on a New Orleans family, who must combat & destroy him before they too fall prey to him. Sequel to the original CLIVE BARKER scare fest lacks the creepiness of the original film, but has more plot than the usual sequel that is turned out for a quick buck. The special effects are quite gooey & the Candyman has an even larger hook than he did the last time. Though entertaining, the sequel got to chatty at times & most of the story had some slow spots here & there, but fans of the Candyman won't care. The film sad to say never did well at the box office, which is why it's sequel, CANDYMAN: DAY OF THE DEAD, went direct to video 4 years later.*** (stars)
6 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Poorly made but fun in a cheesy, entertaining way, 18 June 2005 Author: MovieAddict2009 from UK
I think the original Candyman is a very good horror film and builds upon the mythos of such urban legends as "Bloody Mary" and so on and so forth. It didn't feature the best acting in the world but it was suitable and the atmosphere was very scary.The sequel, "Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh," is as most horror sequels typically are -- inferior and less scary. It's like "Halloween II," "Friday the 13th Part II" and "Psycho II": not as good as the original! Yet for what it is, "Candyman II" is quite entertaining, and still manages to remain rather atmospheric. The film takes place in New Orleans around the Mardi Gras and it's got some good scary segments. Some aren't so scary but are fun to watch. We know what's going to happen but it's still entertaining.No this isn't expertly made but it isn't mind-numbingly bad as some of the genre are. Basically it's loads of blood but it also retains its creepy cinematography and the direction is better than expected.Overall this kept me entertained, which is all I expected in the first place.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Best of the series, Not the scariest, 16 December 2006 Author: fullenw from United States
Candyman 2 isn't bad at all. It may lack when compared to part 1 because it isn't as scary as part 1. That might be because Clive Barker was more involved with the 1st. I'll even admit the 1st had a better plot compared to many horror movies.This movie does reflect on Helen Lyle from part 1. Purcell who appeared in part 1 even appears in this one.The acting and plot are all really underrated. This movie shows how good an actress Kelly Rowan really is. The ending is something to watch out for as well(pretty cool). The flashbacks are perhaps the best EVER. Its also refreshing to see Tony Todd reprise his role as Candyman. This movie may not be as scary as part 1 but is a God among movies especially compared to candyman 3.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Not as good as the original, but it had some kind of a story that worked, 27 November 2006 Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois
I don't know why, but I decided to get into the Candyman sequels, I did enjoy the first Candyman, so why not see the sequels? Tony Todd is an awesome boogeyman as well, so I was kinda looking forward to seeing the second Candyman and curious where the story was going. While the story worked in some ways, I wasn't that thrilled about it. Not to mention I didn't like the city change, I'm just filled with so much Chicago pride, you know? Annie is a school teacher and her brother is up on murder charges, he is also being accused of murdering her father who was truly murdered by the famous Candyman. Annie knows that her brother is innocent, but her kids start to test her patience on the Candyman myth, to prove them wrong, she calls to the Candyman and makes a big mistake. She finds out that her great grandmother was the lover of Candyman and he wants her now to bring out his past.Candyman Farewell to the Flesh was an alright horror movie and the story could've worked better, but it just seemed like your typical horror sequel and it could be predictable at times. But the husband dying, that was a pretty cool scene I have to admit. So, if you want to, watch it, but it's nothing to get excited over.5/10
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: This is a spoiler-free review!, 25 March 2004 Author: oldtimegirl from Laquey, Missouri
I've been around long enough to have seen my share of horror films; however, I have NEVER been witness to one that was frightening, yet stylishly sexy! Candyman 2: Farewell To The Flesh is a brilliant sequel to the rather morbid first installment (Candyman). There is a much better storyline, a terrific cast, and let's not forget that famous Phillip Glass musical score! Tony Todd, a very underrated star, is in his natural full form as the main character of this film series. He is unique in that he somehow manages to infuse sex appeal into this type of character! Versatile actress Kelly Rowan is in this, and she really comes through! Also, Veronica Cartwright is here, and she's just wonderful! There are some twists and turns in this one, so don't miss a minute of it. Now run, don't walk, to your nearest movie rental place and GET THIS! You'll be surprised!
3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Ain't bad for a sequel., 4 September 2005 Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.
In New Orleans during the Mardi Gras festival an author who wrote a book about the legend of the Candyman is murdered and someone who he had a confrontation with that night is accused of the act. Although the accuser's sister a schoolteacher tries to discover who actually did kill the expert and learns that the legend of The Candyman is for real. She has conjured up the mythical serial killer by repeating his name in front of the mirror five times. This is where the horrifying nightmare begins and some surprising revelations occur.The sequel to the underrated original you could say its just another slasher because it lacks the psychological edge, but I thought it was a reasonably good one and above the usual routine slasher. Sure it doesn't have the hypnotic power and impact of the original, but it still delivers enough well arranged shocks and has an mildly interesting plot that delves a little a bit more into the Candyman's background. With it showing us flashbacks of the painful ordeal he faced and how he became this legend. The plot isn't entirely focused on the Candyman legend (like the original was), with the investigation leading more towards the sister finding out about her family secrets while trying to get her brother of the hook and basically the legend is woven into it. Though, it's not as smart, or incredibly gripping this time around, with it leading more towards graphic violence and having some tedious moments slowing down the pace. It starts off rather slow, but it gets better as the story moves along and some moderate surprises pop up, but really it isn't that hard to guess to where the story is heading and some things just don't add up. The cloud of mystery around the Candyman just seems to be gone, or I should say far less evoking, with it seamlessly rehashing a lot material and ideas which were done so more effectively in the first film. On a whole it just doesn't capture the intense power and poetic tussle of the original's subtle plot and elegant dialogue. The material seems to want to force-feed us the information and the narration by the damn DJ was really starting to get on my nerves after awhile. But nonetheless, it's a bloody treat (literally) and at least it's not just another slasher involving horny/drunk teenagers with a shallow plot.The look and direction of the film was alright, but it lacked the polish production values and the touch of detail and class. Atmosphere was slightly disappointing, because the dreaded build up is only effective in short pockets because it's was replaced by too many jump out scares that eases the tension. Although saying that it did provide some freaky sequences, but that was on the behalf of Todd's towering presence. Also there's a nice amount of nasty deaths and blood splattering for gore fanatics. Great makeup achieved and you got to love those special effects. The score from the original is used again and it creates that sense of mystic and doom that flooded the original. On show again is strong camera-work that truly catches your eye. The performances are fair with two reasonable standouts. Easily Tony Todd as the harrowing Candyman, who lives the part as the tormented soul perfectly and Veronica Cartwright turns in a surprise performance. Kelly Rowan as the heroine isn't bad either. The dialogue isn't that riveting, but Todd's echoing voice causes chills to run up your spine. Something about this fictional legend is quite impressive in my eyes. He lives on the pain and the people's fear of him. This is what gives him power and keeps his legend alive. Really, he is nothing but a heart lorn soul.Overall, it doesn't hold up to the original, but as for a sequel, it's not all that bad.
Add another review
