Horror Movie Review: Killjoy 2: Deliverance from Evil (2002)

When someone asks what is the worst franchise that Full Moon Pictures puts out few won’t be pointing towards Killjoy. Amazingly, it’s only four films deep but each can rightfully be called a bit of a stinker. Often for varying and wildly different reasons. The first film was released in 2000 and was on the lower end of the budget scale resulting in a slasher flick that really didn’t entertain as much as it tried too. You can read our review here.

Two years later and we have its sequel taking the killer clown idea in a different direction. Thus, being marginally better then the original…although it’s still a rough watch.

A group of ‘young’ delinquents who have committed a myriad of crimes are being escorted by two detention officers to a new centre. On the way there the vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They have no phone signal so a group head off to try and get a signal stumbling upon a redneck house.

Finding no-one home, they break in hoping to find a working phone which turns out to be a terrible idea as one of them is shot by the white-trash home owner. After a brief stand off, the gun-toting owner is killed leaving the rest to try and save the victim (Ray-Ray).

We hear about the legend of Killjoy which gives one of the group the bright idea to try and bargain with the demon to save Ray-Ray’s life. Of course, we all know that’s not how Killjoy works and it’s not long before the killer clown is back to his old tricks.

Those familiar with the clown from the first film will certainly be in for a surprise when they get a look at him here. Played now by Trent Haaga, his build, outfit and make-up is quite different but better. Haaga would continue to play the role in the next couple of sequels making him the definitive version of Killjoy and he’s very good in it.

His version of Killjoy has the same maniacal behaviour but dialled up and made that little bit more absurd. Thank goodness that he does play it so well because he’s the only thing of note here.

The story is dumb; the set-up for everything that happens here contrived and poorly plotted out. It asks you to ignore some pretty glaring holes and while that could be possible if the remainder of the film entertained, that is not the case. It lumbers on at a snails pace, considering it’s quite short, this is some feat.

The cast aren’t as bad as the original. In that some can actually act but they get nothing of substance to work with. Their characters are bland and forgettable, with obvious adults pretending to play teens.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing though is the lack of decent gore and special effects. This really should have been a major step up from the first movie but it’s just not. The best that can be said is that it is marginally better then the original purely because of Trent Haaga’s Killjoy.