Gory but lacking in purpose, this sequel benefits from the return of Higgins and the new addition of Cranham, yet fails to do much with the premise other than deliver a reactionary AIDS parable.
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:18
Fresh:9
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.2/10
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Beginning just hours after the original HELLRAISER ended, HELLBOUND finds young Kristy (Laurence) waking up in a mental institution because she insisted on describing her parents murderers as... Beginning just hours after the original HELLRAISER ended, HELLBOUND finds young Kristy (Laurence) waking up in a mental institution because she insisted on describing her parents murderers as pain-loving demons from hell to the authorities. Unfortunately, she has been placed in the car of Dr. Channard, who has devoted his life to solving the Lament Configuration, the key to the doorway of hell, and now, with Kristy, he believes he has found another key. Resuscitating the skinless corpse of her stepmother, Julia, Dr. Channard succeeds in opening a doorway to hell, one that Julia, Channard, Kristy, and her mute friend Tiffany all travel through. Based on a story by Clive Barker, HELLBOUND is both a continuation of the original as well as a much different take on its story and universe. Here, the film fashions itself after an ALICE IN WONDERLAND type fairy tale as it focuses on Kristy and Tiffany's adventures in hell as well as on the lives of the Cenobites. Infamously gory, surreal, and often horrifying, HELLBOUND is a satisfying sequel to one of the most original horror films of the 1980s. [More]
Starring: Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Imogen Boorman, Kenneth Cranham
Starring: Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Imogen Boorman, Kenneth Cranham, Doug Bradley, William Hope, Barbie Wilde
Director: Tony Randel
Director: Tony Randel
Screenwriter: Peter Atkins
Reviews for Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
The film collapses into a bloody mess of bravura set pieces that never add up to a satisfying whole.
It's probably a stretch to surmise that, just as the first film's subtext dealt with health fears, the sequel mines its dread from the horror of malpractice.
A maggotty carnival of mayhem, mutation and dismemberment, awash in blood and recommended only for those who thrive on such junk.
as part of the ongoing Hellraiser legacy, Hellbound is an excellent sequel
In franchise history there have been a lot worse sequels than this turned out to be. Yes, that's a bit of a compliment.
suffers the fate of most sequels: it is both derivative and repetitive
It's a gruesome, gory, and super cool horror film that's well worth checking out.
Even if you discount the cliche's, there are enough bizarre and shocking effects here to satisfy all but the most demanding genre fans.
It is simply a series of ugly and bloody episodes strung together one after another like a demo tape by a perverted special-effects man.
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