Considering how good the first "The Descent" was, it seems like shear madness to try and recreate that with a different director. But horror movie studios love their franchises and will usually milk a concept until it runs dry and no one wants to see another sequel. Thankfully, "The Descent Part II" is better than expected, perhaps thanks to the use of the editor of the original picture, Jon Harris, as director of the follow-up. He recaptures some of the terror for small, tight places and the dark that enraptured viewers with the first film. The return of a few familiar faces, as played by the original actresses, helps this sequel transition into an almost continuation of the original story. There are some jarring issues with this new film that keep it from being reverently talked of like the original picture, but overall scary movies fans will like the picture enough to make it a worthy rental.
For those who don’t remember the first film, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) is the sole survivor of a group of female spelunkers that explore an unknown cave system. Sarah is found while being searched for by a cave rescue team, a local sheriff and a female deputy. She is initially near comatose and can’t explain what happened or where her friends are. She is forced along by the belligerent sheriff back into the caves to locate her missing comrades. This plot device felt a bit forced, as the sheriff wouldn’t likely be permitted by the doctors or other law enforcement personnel to bring along an unstable person into a dangerous place. Once the small rescue team enters the cave system, both natural and unnatural problems begin occur. From cave-ins to creature attacks, the new group is in as much danger as the prior group.
While the return of Sarah is welcome continuity, her reasons for being back in the cave are questionable. The sheriff character is a continuing annoyance in the film; he is ultimately no more than a caricature that lasts much longer in the movie than he deserves to. There is an attempt at character development amongst the rest of the cast, especially the Hispanic deputy who is most sympathetic to Sarah’s condition. The movie skews closer to the original film in the second half, when it’s every person for him or herself. It was fun to see familiar places from the original picture within a new context. A pleasant surprise during the third act ratchets up both the emotional and physical tension. It also causes Sarah to start talking again and become more active and entertaining in the movie. She’s better as a Ripley knock-off from "Aliens" than as a mute head-case.
I didn’t like the movie’s ending because I’ve seen that kind of finale before and it just doesn’t fit within the survivor’s quality of the series. Other viewers may look more kindly on how the film wraps up. Overall, much of the original tone is recaptured in "The Descent Part 2," but the craftsmanship, character development, and story just aren’t as good as the near-perfect original. Still, a double-feature of the two pictures should sufficiently scare viewers away from cave-diving anytime soon.
Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, grisly images, terror and language.
