One of the biggest shockers for audiences was the surprise smash hit of the first Happy Death Day. Not only was it surprisingly fun to watch but it was also original and creative while adding a science fiction touch to it. The film was essentially a mesh up of Groundhog Day combined with Edge Of Tomorrow that created one of the most unique horror movies of the 21st century, one that takes the slasher genre and literally reinvents it with a darkly humorous sci-fi spin as well as a strong performance from Jessica Rothe in the main role that mirrors Bill Murray's character in Harold Ramis comedy classic Groundhog Day. With the success of the first Happy Death Day, a sequel was inevitable despite being risky given how well the concept of the first film worked. In most cases, horror film sequels struggle to match the bar set by their predecessors with there being few exceptions in the genre. While Happy Death Day 2U doesn't match the quality of the first film, its not far off and does a terrific job of keeping much of what made that film so appealing to audiences intact while continuing the story in a way that's both logical and engaging.
The plot for
Happy Death Day 2U continues the
Groundhog Day premise set forth by the first film with the sequel immediately continuing that films storyline with the focus remaining on surviving college student Tree Gelbman (Played by Jessica Rothe) from the first film finding herself trapped within another time loop, beginning another murderous cycle in which she must not only defend herself but also her friends as well as a sorority from a band of murderers wearing baby face masks. What made the story work in the first film was the filmmakers did something that many horror films today either attempt to do but fail or don't bother trying to anymore, they gave the audience characters that they grew to care about and root for. The audience cared about Jessica Rothe's character Tree, both laughing at the absurdity of her time loop scenarios while also appreciating the change and progression the character endures throughout both films. The audience laughed with this character, cried with this character, and became concerned about her safety the further she went into the time loop. It also helped that Jessica Rothe's performance was so sincere and charming as she brought a breath of fresh air to an already fun concept. In all the fun and madness of that film, the thing that made it truly special was the message it carried within the slasher elements that stayed true to the
Groundhog Day theme that the repeated time loop can make a person better with the ultimate statement being that everyday is an opportunity to change.
The themes for
Happy Death Day 2U remain the same as the original with the message of both movies combined saying that having the chance to relive your life and change yourself for the better is a special gift. It wasn't the blood and gore of the film that made it special nor its sci-fi tone that made it a hit with audiences, it was its heart that made it a fun experience for horror fans while carrying with it a warm-hearted message.
Happy Death Day 2U fully understands as a sequel why the first film worked so well with audiences and tries to imitate the same kind of impact by sticking to the same formula while adding new twists and turns to the plot. The film feels as if its a true sequel to the first as it not only picks up directly after the events of that film but takes all the side characters of the first and pushes them to the center, giving them more development while playing integral parts to the story, bringing both movies together while strengthening the bond. The biggest shocker about the sequel is not how much of it repeats the first film but how little of it tries to with the time loop. The sequel immediately takes off from where that film ends and continues the same wild ride audiences discovered with the first
Happy Death Day. Like it's predecessor, it doesn't take itself seriously and is full of energy and laughs that makes it an extremely satisfying experience especially when one goes into it expecting it to automatically be a disappointment because of it being a horror sequel.
Whereas the first
Happy Death Day relied on horror and comedy to flesh out it's clever concept,
Happy Death Day 2U keeps those elements but heads towards the science fiction and romance elements of the first film, expanding on both while filling the gaps of that film. The most admirable trait of the sequel is that it has the guts to head in a different direction while keeping all the previous films most successful elements intact to make it truly feel like part ll of the first film. While the switch in genres might catch some of the audience that viewed the first film by surprise, most will appreciate that it tries something different and succeeds at doing so. James Cameron once wrote that the key to making a successful sequel is not only meeting the expectations of the audience but also surprising them.
Happy Death Day 2U does its absolute best to meet those standards with Jessica Rothe delivering another strong performance as Tree, showcasing her versatility as an actress with a solid role. In her second attempt at playing the character, Rothe once again nails her part showcasing both physical comedy to moments of pure drama pulling both off beautifully. One hopes that more lies in her future than just playing in horror movies as she shows she has the range and energy to go far beyond.
As far as the acting goes from the supporting cast, just about everyone from the first film returns and remains equally strong here. Israel Broussard does a nice job playing Tree's love interest Carter, showing that both him and Rothe still have the strong chemistry they had in the first film with sweet moments between them shown throughout the second movie. Rachel Matthews and Ruby Modine are both fun as Danielle and Lori, proving to be just as effective as they were in the first movie. Phi Vu delivers an equally strong performance as Ryan with it being a total surprise that his character goes from being minimal in the first movie to being more prominent in the sequel. In terms of everyone returning to their roles and bringing the same kind of energy and enthusiasm to the parts they played previously, it feels as if no time passed in between movies and everyone was excited to continue the story they began with the first film. Unlike most horror movies, the audience legitimately gets the feeling that they are seeing these characters grow from their last experience despite the stories taking place at virtually the same time frame.
Much like the original film, writer and director Christopher Landon returns and brings with him the same level of energy and excitement to the project with the sequel feeling like a mesh up of
Back To The Future ll meets
Scream 2. When both
Happy Death Day movies are combined, they manage to come across as being a surprisingly heartfelt and touching story about love, grief, moving on, and redemption masked with the elements of science fiction and horror. One of the improvements made with the sequel is the addressing of the first films main plot hole regarding the reason behind the time loop. In the sequel, its addressed that a group of science majors at school have built a time machine with the intention of slowing down time, instead it ends up looping it. While attempting to wipe out an ill-created dopelganger, the machine resets sending Tree and her friends into another dimension that still loops, changing the sequence of events that appeared in the original while bringing back some of the deceased characters from the first film.
Whereas most horror sequels fail to reach the standard set by the original film,
Happy Death Day 2U does its absolute best job to match it and by doing so does a terrific job while also providing the audience with a few new tricks up its sleeve. The film proudly joins the ranks of
Scream 2 and
Halloween ll 1981 as being one of the more consistent horror movie sequels that doesn't feel watered down but builds upon the previous films story and expands on it. It can be said however that its less of a horror film than the first and more science fiction this time around, that's not a bad thing as the first
Alien and
Terminator films worked as horror and sci-fi flicks with their sequels taking the more action-packed routes while staying true to the storylines set up by their predecessors. For some fans of the first film, that may come off as being disappointing as the movie doesn't feel more like a horror movie but to others, it keeps the concept fresh and endearing as audiences will not only be satisfied with this sequel but hope that a third film comes along to wrap up what's arguably one of the most clever and well-blended horror and sci-fi franchises in today's generation.
Happy Death Day 2U is a surprisingly awesome sequel that separates itself from most of the generic attempts at being continuations of the first in the genre and truly feels like an extension of the previous story. If one really enjoyed the first
Happy Death Day and wonder if the second film is worth watching, its absolutely worth the time and enjoyment to give it a chance. It will surprise you while taking you on a hilarious and heartfelt ride.
Final Verdict: WATCH IT
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