“Jeepers Creepers, where’d you get those peepers, Jeepers Creepers, where’d you get those eyes…” The first film, “Jeepers Creepers”, surprised me by being mostly good. I say mostly good because it started with an interesting premise and was sufficiently creepy. The first two thirds of the movie were very scary and suspenseful. Two siblings traveling cross country in a car are menaced by the unseen driver of a large sinister looking truck. The chase was intimidating and kept me on the edge of my seat. The relief I felt after their escape quickly faded after their accidental discovery of the driver’s lair. At that point, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation of the horror they might find, as well as the horror that might find them. The final third of the movie left me a bit cold, however. What started out as a really frightening film, quickly decayed into just another monster flick once the identity of the driver was revealed.

‘The Creeper’ as he became to be known was certainly a well-designed creation, but with the mystery out in the open, he became nothing more than just another movie monster. The storyline weakened as it went on. The only saving grace, for me at least, was the disturbing non-traditional ending. This was very unexpected and made up for the rest of what went wrong. It was obvious that there would be a sequel, considering this ending and here it is, “Jeepers Creepers 2.”

I caught “Jeepers Creepers 2” the other day on DVD, wondering where writer/director Victor Salva would take it. I was curious to find out more of the ‘mythology’ of ‘The Creeper.’ As it turns out, the movie is kind of a mixed bag. I can’t say it is a bad movie, because it delivers some good scares and the special effects are really good. But, for some reason Salva decided to make one of those ‘slasher/monster’ movies with a cast of teenage unknowns who become little more than cannon fodder. Most of the characters, who are fending off ‘The Creeper’ from inside a brown down school bus, are little more than forgettable stereotypes. There is so little connection between us and them that when one of them dies, you don’t really care. All we’re looking for is a little blood to cheer on.

I know I shouldn’t be looking for deep meaning in a horror film, but the main reason it bothered me is because Salva took a premise with promise (I know, that sounds funny), and took it a step backward instead of forward. The first film really fleshed out the main characters, so there was a connection between them and the audience. You really feared for their survival. “Jeepers Creepers 2” ended up being more of an action horror film, where characters get picked off, one by one.

That’s really the only complaint I have about the film. As I said, it does deliver the thrills and chills, and there are several scenes that will make you jump. From a production standpoint, “Jeepers Creepers 2” looks great. The design work for ‘The Creeper’ is exceptional, so much so that I’d rank him amongst the most frightening looking of movie monsters.

I really enjoyed the extra features on the DVD release. Since the production value of the film was so high, watching how they ‘did it’ was fascinating. The coolest thing was the full-motion video menus. They were filmed exclusively for this DVD and some scenes were almost as disturbing as the film itself. MGM saw fit to include two full-length commentaries, the first with director Salva and several of the actors. The second commentary features actor Jonathon Breck (The Creeper), storyboard artist Brad Parker and makeup artist Brian Penikas. The first commentary will be the most interesting for the casual viewer as it is very light as everyone talks about what it was like working on the film. I really liked the second commentary though, as it focused more on the character of ‘The Creeper’, and as a special effects artist I could identify with the subject matter.

There is a lengthy ‘Behind the Scenes’ featurettes which can be viewed all at once, or broken down into four parts. Everything is pretty much covered here, including Salva’s original concept, the stunt work, makeup work, music and effects. One feature, called ‘a Day in Hell’ follows Salva through a day in the set, while another shows us a string of deleted scenes. They are all run together and most won’t make sense unless you watch the movie first.

These are followed up by two scenes that were never shot. They are presented through storyboard. One in particular, ‘Ventriloquist Creeper’, I would have liked to have seen as a finished product. Not to be left out, the DVD also includes a photo gallery, theatrical trailer and even credits and photos for the DVD menus.

Aside from my few nits about “Jeepers Creepers 2”, I can’t say it wasn’t entertaining. As far as action oriented horror films go, this one is a pretty good one. You’ll jump a lot and perhaps even be ‘creeped’ out. (Note to guys: this is a great one to watch with your girlfriend, just expect a bunch of bruises on your arm….)

Directed by: Victor Salva
Starring: Ray Wise, Jonathon Breck
Extras: Deleted Scenes and Moments, Audio Commentary by Director Victor Salva and Cast, Creeper Commentary by Jonathon Breck (The Creeper), Brad Parker (Production Illustrator), and Brian Penikas (Special Effects Makeup), “A Day in Hell” Behind the Scenes Documentary, “Lights, Camera, Creeper” Featurette, “Creeper Creation” Featurette, “Digital Effects by the Orphanage” Featurette, “Creeper Composer” Featurette, “The Creeper’s Lair” and “Ventriloquist Creeper” Storyboard Renditions of Scenes Not Filmed, Two Photo Galleries, Original Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1) Enhanced for 16X9 Televisions, English 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: MGM
Release Date: 12/23/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Horror Violence and Language)
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We'll Jeepers Creepers 2 give an B-.