Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh [DVD] [1995] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh takes up the story of the Candyman legend and runs with it, giving us a much greater understanding of the man who would become the hook-gutting avenger of wronged souls; it offers a short and respectable summary of the first movie and then proceeds not to redo what has happened before but to carve its own name indelibly in the flesh of cinematic horror. I think this movie stands as a testament to proper sequel-making in the horror movie genre.

I love the opening sequence of this film. The smarmy academic professor who is an expert on the Candyman but does not believe in him (the same man who needled Helen as she worked on her project in the original movie) is speaking about his new book in a New Orleans bookstore. Naturally, he proves his disbelief by theatrically calling out Candyman's name five times in front of his own reflection. Let's just say he ends up a convert to the Candyman religion. Then we meet Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan), a devoted schoolteacher in a poor neighborhood of town. Her brother is accused of killing the lecturing professor, but Annie does not believe his own statements of guilt. She believes something about her father's death is responsible for her brother's unexplainable behavior. That death, we learn, precipitated an enduring tragedy in the Tarrant family. Annie's mother is dying of cancer and seems to be holding something back from her questioning daughter. Annie herself, foolishly trying to prove to her frightened students that Candyman isn't real, calls him, and then things really get ugly. People die, many of them Tarrants, and the Candyman seems to engage in some sort of romantic courtship of Annie. Tarrant family secrets are eventually revealed, and in the process we get a bird's-eye view of the suffering inflicted upon Daniel Robitaille a century earlier - for those who don't know, he was lynched for having loved a white woman; his right hand was cut off with a rusty blade, and then he was smeared with honey and left at the mercy (or lack of it) of a whole colony of angry bees.

By the end of the movie, Candyman is not some horrible monster bent on destruction just because he enjoys gutting people; he is quite real, and his humanity shines through the robes of gore he has wrapped himself in over the decades. If you saw off his hand, will he not jam a hook in the stub of his arm and start gutting people? If you scratch his face, will not hordes of bees pour forth from his body? I love Candyman; he really is one of the most complex, sympathetic yet disturbing "monsters" wandering the horror universe today. Much of the credit for his power must go to Tony Todd, who portrays him brilliantly. Maybe the ending of this movie leaves a little bit to be desired, but the journey features some pretty decent gore and a lot of almost philosophical horror ruminations. If you want to call Candyman, go ahead; he's real enough to me that I'm not going to do it.

When you think of horror sequels, most of the time you think "thanks, but no thanks", and seeing the kind of horror sequels that have been inflicted on mankind over recent years that's not surprising. However, this film really is an exception to the rule. Agreed, it's not as good or "original" as the first film, but that's a hard task given the excellence of the first instalment and this film, nevertheless, does a fantastic job at carrying on the story of the legend that is the Candyman.

This time set in the backdrop of New Orleans at the time of the carnival before Lent, Annie Tarrant (a local school teacher) wants answers about the gruesome murder of her father. In the meantime, the same professor who told the story of the Candyman to Helen Lyle in the first film (who is a devoted expert on the Candyman, yet refuses to believe that he is real) is at a signing for his new book written about his favourite urban legend and, further to a request to prove that he is not real, with jest he calls his name five times in his reflection on the books front cover. Let's just say that was the last mistake he'll ever make, as he is subsequently gruesomely slain by the Candyman in a bar restroom. And so it seems that the Candyman is stalking the inhabitants of New Orleans.

Annie's brother, who is an avid believer of the Candyman, is set in the frame for these murders and is kept in custody in the local police station. Annie stubbornly refuses to believe that these murders are down to the Candyman and so, in an attempt to prove to some local students and herself that he isn't real, she calls his name five times. Much like Helen in the original film, Annie is then stalked by the Candyman and, as her loved ones are gradually killed one by one, is forced to pursue the origins of the Candyman in an attempt to find a way to destroy him. Meanwhile, her mother seems reluctant to reveal Annie's link with the Candyman and thinks that if he is out of mind he is out of sight...not so!

This film is not just an excuse to provide more pointless gore and horror, it does a perfect job of completing the story behind the Candyman. It all began in 1890. Daniel Robitaille was the son of a slave to a wealthy businessman in the late 19th century, who falls in love with his "keeper's" daughter (Caroline) and gets her pregnant. Caroline's father is enraged and hires a group of thugs to pursue Daniel where, having caught up with him, they saw off his right hand and smear him with fresh bee's honey from a nearby hive in order that the angry swarm of bee's attack him to death. Before he dies, however, he is mocked by his attackers, and earns his name "Candyman" as one of the boys tastes the honey and provokes the crowd into cheering "Candyman, Candyman, Candyman" etc. Caroline's father comes up clutching a small mirror of hers, shows the Candyman his reflection, which is horrifically marred by bee stings, and asks him how his daughter could ever love him in his new disfigured state. Daniel then chants "Candyman" to his reflection and dies. Thereafter, Candyman's vengeful spirit is trapped in this small mirror, which is theoretically his gateway through all other mirrors to allow him to take physical form, and exercise his revenge on humanity by gruesomely slaying those who are stupid or ignorant enough to call his name five times in the reflection.

It's an intruiguing story that is acted out and well played by not only the very talented Tony Todd (as Candyman / Daniel), but also most other actors in the film. Tony Todd plays the character brilliantly, revealing both his vengeful and soft side as, towards the end of the film, you can't help but feel sorry for him. Again with a chilling score composed by Philip Glass, this is a very impressive follow-up which not only carries on the story created by Clive Barker in tremedous fashion, but also completes it in even better fashion. Don't be put off that this is a horror sequel that attained little positive attention, it really is a very credible effort as far as sequels go!

Helen Lyle gets one mention in this sequel that acknowledges Virginia Madsens character of the original. The story of this gives no satisfactory reason as to why Candyman is stalking another so called love of his life (dont you normally get one love of your life?). This is really the first one but done again. Although there are some good special FX and some good acting, there is no reason for this sequel. The story gives a very touching and disturbingly brutal flashback of Daniel Robati (not correctly spelt)before he became a benevolent supernatural monster. When you watch this movie and it is a good movie you will probably find yourself wondering why it was made. Candyman is a movie that didnt call for a sequel or franchise and if you are like me and cant resist watching sequels take my advice and avoid Candyman 3: Day of the dead as it is just aweful.