As a big Stephen King fan and movie buff, it's surprising that I've never seen or read the now classic "Carrie," but I didn't think it would interfere with my enjoyment of this contemporary sequel, being a couple decades after the original.

I was right about it not interfering, I think I would be more irritated with this film than I already was, had I seen the original, and how it will forever be associated with this piece of dreck.

I don't even know where to start, this film is so bad. The dialogue is sub-standard at best, written--obviously--by people who haven't been in high school in quite some time. The direction is shoddy, with obtuse camera angles meant to be innovative and original, but just distract from the story, along with one of the most odd uses of a color/black and white transition.

The cast of characters are, for the most part, cookie cutter stereotypes of teens (the blond bombshell b**ch, the catty best friend, the jocks, the nerds, etc.) and aren't given any distinction from their peers, to the point of melting into the scenery. Also, most appear to be too old to be playing teenagers, including our lead, Emily Bergyl. If any character must look their age, it should be the lead (see The In-Crowd).

The only exceptions to this are Jason London as the jock who cares, and the poised Mena Suvari, whose actual performing screen time is mere minutes, but leaves a resonance throughout the remainder of the film. Much emphasis is attempted at showing how the popular girls dislike Carrie, but the execution is weak and just doesn't hold water.

The film is billed as a horror film, and that's so true, because it was horrible! Realistically, there is only one scene of actual horror, that being the climax. Sadly, it's also the worst scene in the film, filled with excess gore and blood. While those two things aren't out of place in a horror movie, they are such a stark contrast to the rest of the film that they appear much worse than they actually are. And besides being unnessecerily gory, the scene is tasteless in its execution, relegating it to B-movie status.

The Rage: Carrie 2 is a film with tons of unfulfilled potential, a subpar sequel to a classic horror film that fails to be scary, thrilling, or even entertaining. And one of the most awkward final scenes and you've got something not even worth renting.

The Rage: Carrie 2:D-

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age