The ‘Poltergeist’ film franchise consists of a trilogy of films released throughout the 1980s and a 2015 reboot. I have seen the original film numerous times, but barely remember the rest of the series. After going through the rest of the series, I can easily say that after the just okay second movie, the others just fall flat.
So, to coincide with the 1982 horror classic, I decided to go through the remainder of the series. And, the following are quick takes of the series, starting with the 1986 sequel, ‘Poltergeist II: The Other Side.’
In the 1986 sequel, the Freelings have escaped their haunted house, which the area is now being investigated by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor. When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Reverend Kane, knows where young Carol Anne now lives, he goes to warn the family that their daughter is in danger again.
To protect Carol Anne, her father and the rest of the family must plot to take down the Beast.
Now, even though the 1986 sequel isn’t nearly as frightening as the original, it’s pretty close. There are some ghost moments that can be intriguing and fun to watch, yet doesn’t really have the charm and suspense as the original.
The most interesting part of this film is the Reverend Kane character. His backstory is really one of the highlights that has to do with gathering settlers to prepare for a pending apocalypse and they gathered under where the family’s home used to be. And the Kane character can be on the very creepy side.
The 1988 sequel, Poltergeist III, sees young Carol Anne living with her aunt and uncle in Chicago temporarily. But, the past comes back as the ghosts and Reverend Kane find her. Now, the ghost starts inhabiting the mirrors in their high rise apartment to get to Carol Anne … again.
Despite a few scenes and cool moments here and there, the last entry of the trilogy is definitely the weakest. At first, the third movie starts to become interesting, especially once we see ‘The Other Side’ villain Kane return. But, after a little while, the scares and suspense that the series used to be known for quickly goes away.
The 2015 ‘Poltergeist’ film is more of a re-imagining of the first film. In this entry, a family moves into a new home and soon the youngest daughter begins talking to an “imaginary friend.” And it’s not long before sinister spirits wreak havoc in the house.
Unlike the 1982 original where it was really fun and scary, this re-imagining lacked in both departments. Sure, there were a couple of OK scares and visuals, such as when the brother goes into the closet’s portal to get his sister and we see the undead. That entire sequence can be quite tense and visually great looking.
Other than that, the re-imagining is just another notch on the “unnecessary horror remake” belt.
Let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook what your favorite film is in the ‘Poltergeist’ series!
You can stream the ‘Poltergeist’ trilogy on the Max streaming service and can currently find the 2015 re-imagining on Tubi.
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