The Dentist 2

Director - Brian Yuzna (Return of the Living Dead III, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead)

Starring - Corbin Bernsen (Zodiac, Psych), Jillian McWhirter (Song of the Vampire, After Midnight), and Jeff Doucette (Weird Science, Mom and Dad Save the World)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "You know the drill"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Writing for a site like Horror Society has given me amazing opportunities. Not only do I get to review films I had never heard of before, but I get to revisit films from my childhood in formats that have better quality. Many films I enjoyed on VHS still hold a place in my heard for nostalgic purposes it’s nice to read the scrolling introduction to films like Monster Squad that was almost unreadable on tape. When Vestron Video announced the blu release of The Dentist and The Dentist 2 I was beyond excited. I remembered a lot from the first film but I only remembered something about bugs with the second, so I was beyond ready to revisit them. As soon as I finished the first film, I had to quickly hit play on the sequel. Like always, I want to thank Vestron Video for sending this one over for review. 

      The film follows the good doctor from the first film who has conveniently escaped the mental facility who was placed in. He travels to a secluded small town where he soon finds himself the town’s new dentist. He suppresses his murderous impulses by cutting his arm with a straight razor but when he suspects his new love interest is seeing someone else the old urges come back. 

      The Dentist 2 is not as good in the first film in my opinion but it’s fairly close. It’s not often that a sequel reaches the same level as the original film but this one almost does. There is some things about this follow up that I enjoyed more than the original but I would still pick the first over this one any day. With that being said, I would prefer to watch them together because they both are spectacular films that could be found on any video store’s shelves during the 90s. The acting in this one is more enjoyable than the first film. Bernsen once again nails it as the diabolical dentist. I loved how intense his performance was and he could have easily brought him back for another film. The supporting cast is more grounded than the first film which is one of the only few complaints I have about it. The cast, aside from Bernsen and a few others, felt campy and out of place. However, the performances here fit the film a lot better. Even Clint Howard delivers a fairly decent performance and not his typical cheesy performance. The story for this one is more of the same but works as a solid continuation. Sure, we follow the doctor who once again finds his love interest is dishonest and this opens him up to murder patients. With that being said, we begin the film knowing of his past atrocities. The film doesn’t really push the idea much further than that but it doesn’t over stay it’s welcome either. It gives us some fun kills and memorable moments before it’s conclusion. As much as I think a third film would have been fun I honestly believe it would have pushed it too far and became a turd. Finally, the film keeps the dental themes in full but they do mix it up some to offer up a bit of variety while keeping it in tune with the film. It was awesome to revisit the bug scene and the practical effects were great but I would have liked a little more gore. Overall, The Dentist 2 may not be as well known as the original film but it’s damn near just as fun. It’s one of the few sequels that can compete with the original like Halloween II, Return of the Living Dead Part II, and Bride of Re-Animator. I highly recommend it especially if you enjoy the first film.