Happy Death Day 2U

I was stupidly excited for the first movie only to be a little disappointed, it was good but didn't live up to its potential. A sequel I thought!? How could they possibly do that? And except from a financial standpoint why would they?

Rumored to be the second of a trilogy, I'm sad to say that the first thing that comes to mind after watching it is that it's a blatant cashgrab. The first movie made them a shed load of money so they felt obligated to make a sequel and rushed it out without little care and attention.

Following on straight from the first film we see another time loop and Tree once again investigating why it's happening. Honestly, I struggled to get behind the plot this time as I deemed it pretty pathetic by comparison.

Happy Death Day 2U though a huge disappointment and mindless cashgrab isn't a bad film, it's just poor compared to the first and clearly rushed out to capitalize on the popularity of the original.

If they're going to make a third I'd suggest they give it additional time, better writers and entirely go back to the drawing board because this was messy.

The Good:

Jessica Rothe

Nice follow on

Some funny moments

The Bad:

Considerably weaker writing

Blatant cashgrab

Loved the first movie because the actors did a fantastic job meshing slasher and comedy. This sequel, while not as intense as the first, still was highly entertaining. It's not Citizen Kane, but this genre isn't supposed to be. The acting again made me laugh all the way to the very end while still holding the "who is the killer?!" suspense with all the alternate realities.

The actors make these movie-especially the lead actress. The cast are believable in an unbelievable setting and blend well together.

It's a fun popcorn movie for sure.

Sometimes it's better not knowing how the sausage is made. The first Happy Death Day was a fun little slasher flick that never took itself too seriously and was thoroughly entertaining for what it was. The sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, tried to provide explanation to the phenomenon that befell Tree in the first film. It all involves a science project gone wrong and a bunch of time-looping sci-fi mumbo jumbo that isn't nearly as smart as the movie thinks it is. This should be a franchise where you can just turn your brain off and have a good time. Instead, 2U wants the audience to think. That's the big mistake. Most of the "science" stuff makes little to no sense, and making us think about it only makes us realize how convoluted a mess this story is. I won't even get into the eye-roll worthy plot conveniences that have to exist for the film to even move forward in some spots.

Another issue is this isn't a horror movie. There may be a couple short scenes that lend themselves to horror, but this is much more so a sci-fi story, a far cry from what we started with in the first movie. Also, the movie reaches a satisfying ending place, but then decides to not end there and throws in a ridiculous "heist" movie at the end. Why not? We're already watching a horror-comedy-scifi-romcom?

Now, it's not all bad. The movie does keep moving at a steady pace and most of the characters are entertaining (even if they aren't particularly engaging). The sub-plot about Tree's mom feels genuinely heart-felt and gives the movie a little emotional weight. There's plenty of decent laughs throughout. And, as in the first film, Jessica Rothe seems to be having a ball in the lead role. There's also a mid-credits scene to suggest we're gonna expand this universe even more. And while I'll welcome a third movie in this fun franchise, I wish the writers would understand that more isn't necessarily better. Sometimes keeping it simple is best. 6/10

Looking back at the first film, I gave it a solid 7/10, and I stick to that, this follow up gets an 8/10, for my money it's better than the first.

This film is funny, exciting, imaginative, and packed full of surprises. The twists come thick and fast, as do the laughs, perhaps a few scares short of the first film, but overall it's better.

Danielle is hilarious here, the scene where she attempts to get the keys back is a moment of comedy joy, indeed some of the characters are a whole lot more likeable this time round.

A good twist with the killer, I didn't see that outcome.

Let's hope there's a third. 8/10.

Quick review. I recommend watching the first one as closely as you can to this one. This one picks up right where it left off. The cast pops with some side characters coming to the front of movie. Great scares. This movie will literally give you all the feels. Jessica Rothe and Rachel Matthews are perfect in this movie! This movie takes you on such a wild ride that you will want to ride again and again! I plan on seeing at least two more times before it leaves the cinema. Also stay for the post credit scene you won't regret it!