Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
The first "Candyman" movie gained an appreciative audience by virtue of its unique take on the "slasher" motif — an urban legend set in the inner city about a killer with a hook in place of one hand that could be summoned up by looking in a mirror and repeating the name "Candyman" five times.The film's visual structure was also unusual, as was the pulsating score by Philip Glass.
And while I enjoyed the first third or so of that film, it soon degenerated into a more typical, gory bloodfest and became quite disappointing. (And we haven't even discussed the racial controversy, centering around the film's back-story of a post-Civil War slave who romanced the blond daughter of a plantation owner and was tortured by locals — ultimately finding his soul condemned to search present-day Earth for a blond replacement, randomly killing innocents along the way.)
Still, the film was a hit, so the inevitable sequel has finally arrived, "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh." And this time, the modern story is bolstered by post-Civil War flashbacks to the title character's origins. Despite that twist, however, "Candyman II" doesn't offer even a small portion of interesting material.
This time the blonde he pursues (Kelly Rowan) is a descendant of the woman Candyman was in love with all those years ago. And Rowan's mother (Veronica Cartwright) harbors a family secret that Candyman knows, but Rowan does not.
Loaded with illogical plot points and silly machinations, the film ponderously proceeds with Candyman's random killings and ill-fated attempts at romancing Rowan, as the film teases the audience with brief flashbacks until it finally decides to unravel the story, concluding with a special-effects climax on a dark and stormy night in the swamps.
Even fans will likely be disappointed this time around, as the film rapidly sinks into a morass of gore and blood . . . but no brains.
"Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" is rated R for considerable violence and gore, as well as sex, nudity and profanity.