Vashirdfel
Simply A Masterpiece
Bumpy Chip
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Michael_Elliott
Hobgoblins 2 (2009)1/2 (out of 4)The original HOBGOBLINS was a rip-off of GREMLINS but somehow it made some cash but it became best known for how bad it is. The film gained a cult following throughout the VHS era and then MST3K did it a favor and gave it even more attention. Originally director Rick Sloane planned on making a sequel two years after the movie but it ended up taking him until 2009.This film follows the original screenplay that was written back then and we have the same characters returning, although they're being played by different actors. The film has the look of a film that was shot in the 1980s so I give the filmmaker credit for trying to stay true to his original version but there are so many problems with this thing that it's really hard to be entertained by any of it.The basic plot has the hobgoblins coming back for revenge but the film is just a complete mess. The original movie, I'm sure, was made as a serious film but it just didn't work out and turned out rather campy, which is why it gained a cult following. This movie tries to be like that and it was purposely made bad to try and be cool or at least have the same campy feel of the original but it just doesn't work.When movies started to be labeled "so bad they're good" many filmmakers went out and tried to make them on purpose. The problem is that these films are simply flat out bad where as a true "so bad it's good" movie was meant to be something serious and just turned out bad. When you try to make something bad on purpose it just doesn't have the same effect and HOBGOBLINS 2 is just a really awful movie that doesn't have any laughs, any scares and just isn't as charming as it thinks it is.I give the filmmaker credit for trying to film the original screenplay (with a few updates) but it just doesn't work and in the end it's a very bad film without any entertainment value.
SPECKstarfire
Hey, i know everybody thinx they're an expert on horror nowadays, and i'm no exception. I live for horror VHS - i don't even really care or like DVD re-releases (which i thought this was). Okay, the whole time i'm watching this movie, i'm thinking this was made in '87/'88 (hob 2) becuz it was soO 87/88 no flinching - the hardcore over/under-done acting, the lighting - i thought the internet jokes were about the early internet - i still can't believe this wuz done in 2007! Awesome job pulling that off! and the director's a really nice John Waters fan. kudos need to be given. I met the director when he was signing at Spudic's Movie Empire in Van Nuys.
Argemaluco
I have very few times felt so disappointed with a movie as with Hobgoblins 2.But it did not disappoint me for being a bad movie,but because it is not enough bad.Or,better said,it is not so bad that it is good.The reason of that low (and at the same time high) expectation is its predecessor : Hobgoblins,a legendary piece of crap which was re-discovered 10 years after its release thanks to the public humiliation it received in Mystery Science Theater 3000, a brilliant TV programme which laughed of any pigswill whose rights were enough cheap to buy.That mockery it received was undoubtedly deserved.Hobgoblins was basically a rip-off of the excellent movie Critters,and it belonged to the wave of movies featuring hairy creatures which were so popular back in the 80's.Hobgoblins could not really be classified as a horror film...it is in fact an inept comedy which is full of clichés,from the teenager main characters to the horrible special effects which were common to see in low budget productions from that decade.Now,21 years later,I hoped that Hobgoblins 2 would fulfill with potential of being the sequel of one of the worst movies in the History of cinema (I am not exaggerating by saying that).I thought this movie was going to be so epically bad that it would case serious consequences : it should provoke psychological damage on me; alter the colours from the television; leave traces on the sofa...in summary,I expected to see an epic piece of crap which would finally cure my obsession with the "B" cinema, or at least,that I would become into a reincarnation of Joe Bob Briggs (he is not dead,do not misunderstand),in other words,a person who is able to enjoy even the worst movies.Unfortunately,Hobgoblins 2 resulted to be tedious and execrable.In other words,it was not so bad that it was good...it was simply bad.In summary : an enormous disappointment,which was even bigger to the one I took with Star Wars : Episode 1 : The Phantom Menace.I think that the main problem with Hobgoblins 2 was that I could not recognize which aspects from it were intentional or accidental.The horrible "jokes" from the screenplay completely fail...seriously,did director and screenwriter Rick Sloan think they would make somebody to laugh? But his work was not only disastrous as a screenwriter,but also as a director,because this movie is full of continuity problems and it never finds a good rhythm or tone.Other important fails from this movie are the incoherent dialogs and the pathetic performances.Hobgoblins 2 is a truly execrable movie which does not deserve to even exist.Stay very far away from it.Rating : 0 (rating this movie with a 1 out of 10 is way too much)
Zargablarg
The unexpected but totally welcome sequel to Hobgoblins turns out to be a masterpiece of finely toned cheeseball comedy. Rick Sloane outdoes himself, as do all the cast members, in lovingly recreating and perfecting upon all of the details that made the original Hobgoblins what it was, with a plethora of improvements that truly do justice to its predecessor as well as its audience.Hobgoblins 2 proudly flaunts its facade of a cheap horror flick to turn out to be a top-notch comedy, particularly for lovers of obscure low-budget movies. However, this sequel seems to transcend the genre of its degeneratively exploitative former to take on a veiled yet outright humor context. This time, the cheap puppet monsters seem downplayed in favor of further character analysis and an even more suburban exploration of the characters' daily lives. In this sense, the movie expands upon reinventing the characters from the first movie while remaining true to their motivations and foibles with impeccably fumbled writing and a harshly unrealistic-realism that lampoons young adult romance.The settings are down to earth, albeit limited to a rather suburban setting. Jumping between the characters' homes and the caricature hospital is a bit constrictive, but do not seem out of place to the story. It is the extras that help give the most character to the environs, with their bizarre, almost Twin Peaks-esquire peculiarities that make their cornball routine fresh and lovable. If there's one thing this movie lacks, it's incompetence. Of special note is the attention paid to the characters' relationships: Nick and Daphne's oversexed and rabid romance, perfectly countered by Kevin and Amy's frigid and unfulfilling polar opposite relationship, with both refracted by Kyle's lonesome and misled desire for something perhaps more transcendental. And while we may question how these characters ended up hanging out together, there is little doubt that the actors exude perfect chemistry with one another, be the relationship of the characters friendship or courtship.Even this self-aware spoof does maintain some flaws, however. For one thing, I find myself wishing for just a bit more "suspense" and more puppet wrestling, as the aftertaste of the movie feels like the entire film's a bit heavy on snarky talky scenes. As a fan, I also recall Kyle being somewhat quieter in the first movie, and sometimes I wonder if he wasn't a bit too unsympathetic this time around, but this speculation is perhaps a moot point. However, a major flaw is the fact that for the most part Hobgoblins 1 may be required viewing before its sequel in order to better grasp the self-referential humor or even the point of view from which the film is coming from. While this last point remains a more significant negative of the film, on the whole Hobgoblins 2 is not devoid of its plus qualities.As previously mentioned, Hobgoblins 2 is both funny and loyal to the first film, exceeding the previous film for sheer quality by at least a fair margin, although the first Hobgoblins doubtlessly remains a classic from being featured on the immortal Mystery Science Theater 3000. The second film by far requires no such riffing commentary, and such treatment would only be awkward if not redundant, as Hobgoblins 2 is keenly aware of itself without breaking the fourth wall too much. Hobgoblins 2 also features an outstanding balance, that perfect pitch it needs to succeed, as it is fully capable of being unflinching without crossing the self-destructive line of shamefulness.As a whole, Hobgoblins 2 is a Quixotic embrace with conceptualizing old standards to be fresh and exciting again. To create this level of fan service requires such attentive duty and caring for the genre that the entire cast and crew ought to be commended for their work, even in an era where people seem to know where you're coming from too quickly. Forgetting any tired cynicism, this film certainly feels like it was an enjoyable experience to make, which is important in any cinema. The essential factor in quality is that the subject be true to itself, and true to its audience.I feel no qualms about using the following phrase as I feel it accurately pertains to this movie: Thank you, Hobgoblins 2, for teaching us to laugh about love, again.
