8/10
I actually liked this as much as the first!
18 April 2005
Dr. Phibes rises from the dead three years after the first film. He tells Victoria (his dead wife played again by Caroline Munro) that he's bringing her to Egypt to revive her in some river of life (None of this was mentioned in the first film). He calls on Vulnavia to help him. That's quite a feat considering she was killed by acid in the first film. But then she is played by Valli Kemp instead of Virginia North so I guess that makes sense (I'm kidding). He finds his map to the river in Egypt has been taken by Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry). He wasn't mentioned in the first film either. He gets it back but Darius also knows where it is. Phibes and Biderbeck race to get there...and Phibes promises to kill anyone who gets in his way.

Also Terry-Thomas appears briefly. He was killed in the first one so he plays a different character here. Whether that's supposed to be funny or...something I don't know. As you can see this makes little sense and there's a total lack of logic but I still had fun. Price really seems to be getting into his role and Quarry is amusing. The actors hated each other and that comes through loud and clear during their final confrontation. Also Inspector Trout is back providing some very funny comic relief. And Kemp is not as good as North was as Vulnavia (she seems to be quite shocked when she sees Price in his skeleton face) and she's called upon to make these ridiculous poses.

Like the first one this has bloody, inventive and (sometimes) hilarious murders. The ending especially is great--probably your only chance to hear Price singing "Over the Rainbow"! Also Peter Cushing has a cameo as a ships captain.

Fun, gory and fast. Like the first, this ends after the closing credits with Price giving an evil little laugh.
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