Hypnose 2

During the invasion of Iraq, the National Guard Commander Ted Cogan (Rob Lowe) sees a van speeding up against his site without respecting the warning plates. He orders his men to fire, and later he discovers that in the van there was an Iraqi family. He tries to save a young girl from the fire, but the vehicle explodes and his group is attacked; he enters in coma severely wounded and his friend and neighbor dies. When Ted recovers, he returns home to meet his family, but he is increasingly haunted by ghosts of dead people, premonitions and guilty complex for the death of the innocent family. He seeks medical support but his financial situation does not allow him to pay for a treatment and the government denies helping him. However, one ghost gives the name of Jake Witzky (Zachary Bennett), who tells him to find out what the spirit demands from him. When his son Max (Ben Lewis) is severely wounded in a car crash where his girlfriend Sammi (Tatiana Maslany) and their friend Luke (Shawn Roberts) die, Ted discovers the wish of justice of the tormented soul and he tries to do the right thing.

The ghost story "Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming" is a surprisingly good and dramatic tale of prejudice and justice. Rob Lowe gives a solid performance in the role of a man that feels the effects of a senseless invasion, earning a medal but no financial or medical support in his homecoming, living with the remorse for a wrong order in a moment of stress in a foreign and hostile country. The bigotry of his neighbors upsets him until his final discovery of the despicable act of his son and his friends. This supernatural story is certainly polemic for many, but I liked it, specially the unexpected twist with the true reason for the spirit's revenge. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ecos do Além 2" ("Echoes from Beyond 2")

In "Stir Of Echoes", the always watchable Kevin Bacon played a man who began to see restless spirits after being hypnotised at a party and subsequently uncovered a terrible crime. "Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" utilises this premise and gives it a twist. Our main character here is U.S Patrol Captain Ted Cogan who is forced to give the order which leads to the death of a family in Iraq. He is also wounded and falls into a coma which - much like the hypnosis from the first movie - turns him into a 'receiver', able to see the ghosts around him.

"Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" uses the horror genre to comment on the situation in Iraq and its effect on Americans back home. For example, early in the story we have a party in which one of Cogan's neighbours makes a racist joke which results in laughter from some and an outburst of anger from Cogan. It's an interesting idea but, unfortunately, the script is not quite strong enough to quite carry it off. There's a good idea at work here but the movie comes off as far too preachy in places for its own good.

The horror aspects are well done and very interesting. As the ghosts haunting Cogan become more frustrated and aggressive, their attacks become increasingly more violent. Much like Bacon's character in the first movie, Cogan also experiences various hallucinations related to future events. I certainly can't fault the work of director Ernie Barbarish who manages to stretch a small budget out so the movie looks great.

If I had to point out the areas where this movie fails, the most obvious area is the casting of Rob Lowe as Cogan. It would be hard for any actor to follow Kevin Bacon but Lowe appears to sleepwalk through most of the movie. There are moments when you glimpse him come alive but, for the most part, he seems to be there just to pick up his money which is a shame. The second failing of the movie comes with its conclusion which simply didn't sit right with me at all.

Strangely, Bacon's son from the original "Stir Of Echoes" appears in a cameo role in this movie but has been greatly aged which suggests that the sequel takes place many years later. Although it was a nice way to tie the two movies together, this decision ultimately baffled me.

Despite its flaws, its still a watchable movie. If you enjoyed the first movie, then you might still enjoy "Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" if you can forgive its sledgehammer approach to racism and the current situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, if you've seen the first movie then you'll also probably realise where the story is going due to certain similarities in its plot. Is it worth purchasing on DVD? No. Is it worth a rental? Well, if you like supernatural horror movies then there are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

They had a Perfect set up for the sequel with the kid and they go and make this. I like Rob Lowe to but damn this looks like trash

US soldier returns home Iraq but is haunted and not just by the wartime chaos he encountered.

Writer director Ernie Barbarash delivers an above average straight to DVD cash-in follow up to the original Stir of Echoes which was a hit for Lionsgate Home Entertainment. The sets ups and jump scares are effective, even if somewhat familiar. The sound and Norman Orenstein's music cues becomes repetitive. Mitchell Lackie's editing along with the digital effects are a little distracting at times rather than enhancing. That's said, there's some effective FX makeup moments.

Rob Lowe as Ted does a solid job with the thin script which heavy handedly tackles PTSD and the horror of war as Barbarash's offering mimics the original. It ties to the first film with the inclusion of Jake Witzky even if his age is questionable. However, it may have fared better as a stand alone with a different title. While the cinematography is good it lacks the eerie quality and punchy twist that made the first one so effective.

Overall, like so many DTV sequels, it doesn't hold a candle to its predecessor, but it's worth watching for Lowe and some familiar cast faces.

There is just no way that a Made for TV Movie is going to be anything approaching the underrated and ignored Original. Stir of Echoes (1999) was a Fantastic Film. This one though, is an above average TV Movie that is OK in its own right if comparisons to the first Film are ignored.

Rob Lowe gives an acceptable outing as the afflicted Iraq War Vet that has PTSD by way of Hell, not the War. He struggles to find the meaning of it all and He is Haunted and Tormented by things from Beyond. It does have a heavy Political message and for better or worse it is what it is.

The Ending may have some question marks but it is wrapped up with a finale that is not squeamish or condescending. There are some Chills and the Tone of the thing is just about right. It rises above most Basic Cable Stuff but is restrained by those Limitations from attaining anything of significance.