Plot: What’s it about?
The psychotic serial killer we all love is back, when Henry (now played by Neil Giuntoli) has assumed a new life but still harbors the same inner turmoil as before. After meeting him at their mutual place of work, Henry befriends Kai (Rich Komenich) and quickly becomes a force in his life. Soon Kai and his wife Cricket (Kate Walsh) offer to let Henry rent out a room in the house where the two live with their niece, Louisa (Carri Levinson). Kai and Henry soon bond even more, as the two work on the side for their boss as arsonists for hire, burning down buildings for insurance scam purposes. The two man operation works very well, but like all things is doomed to fall apart at some juncture. All the while during these criminal escapades, Henry has been killing as usual and Kai has started to notice this madness. As he watches Henry brutally murder innocent people time and time again with little or no remorse, he begins to live in fear of him. As time passes and Henry’s control of Kai grows, he forces Kai to aid him in his murderous rampage. Sooner or later though, something is bound to give…
As with most sequels of movies I really like, I was concerned about this one from the start. The absence of Michael Rooker, who played Henry in the original film worried me, but I went ahead and gave this one a chance. I’ve seen this movie several times before writing this review, and I have to say that while this one falls short of the original, it still makes for a decent way to spend a couple hours. While I think some followers of the original will find some things to like here, I don’t think all will, and few outside of that fanbase will like this movie. The main flaw within this movie is the transition from graphic violence and well executed suspense to average at best dialogue between less than intriguing characters. Had the writing been true to the original and left the brutal tone intact, this could have been a very good movie. But as it stands the movie is decent and best, holds little replay value, and few outside of the original’s cult following will even be interested. If you’ve seen and liked this film, this disc is a nice release so don’t hesitate to add this to your collection. I recommend a rental to fans of the original and perhaps the serial killer genre, but don’t expect a film as powerful as the original.
This film was written and directed by Chuck Parello, who made his feature film debut in both areas with this film. I think his writing skills have potential, but in this case he veered too far from what made the original so good. His work here isn’t that good, but perhaps with time and experience he will improve. The role of Henry is taken over in this film by Neil Giuntoli (Waterworld, Up Close & Personal), who turns in a solid performance but lacks the charisma Rooker brought to the role. While the obvious traits come through in Giuntoli’s acting, he fails to bring out the more subtle, internal processes which Rooker was able to express. The rest of the cast also gives good performances in terms of the basics of acting, but again lack the depth needed to really give a film like this impact. Rich Komenich (Chain Reaction, Hoosiers), Carri Levinson (Touch and Go), and Kate Walsh (Heaven) all turn in adequate performances in substantial supporting roles. The rest of the supporting cast includes James Otis (Stardust Memories), Rich Baker, and Penelope Milford (Heathers, The Last Word).
Video: How does it look?
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer 2- Mask of Sanity is presented in a 1.33:1 or full frame transfer, which shows some signs of being a pan and scan transfer. This film was shot in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, so I expected an open matte transfer, but some scenes do seem to be cropped, which is a large disappointment. Aside from that this is a solid visual presentation, with a clean source print and infrequent compression artifacts. The colors appear bright and free from distortion and flesh tones seem natural as well. The contrast is sharp and accurate also, I noted no shadow layering issues or detail loss. While this looks very good, the lack of a widescreen version is unacceptable.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t an audio driven film, so the less than powerful mix included is more than adequate. The front channels control the elements well, but of course the lack of surround does lessen the impact of some scenes. The music sets an eerie mood for the events in the film, and the effects also kick in to add some tension when needed. The dialogue seems to be the main focus though, and it sounds great in this mix. The vocals are clean and clear, with no volume or separation issues to be found.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You’ll find some production notes, talent files, and trailers for both Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer films on this disc, as well as a nice behind the scenes featurette. The featurette runs about fifteen and a half minutes in length and contains interviews, behind the scenes footage, and scenes from the film itself.
