Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2 (1998)

Let's be realistic.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Instant Favorite.

As Good As It Gets

I would give this film a perfect 10, save for the fact that the film ends rather abruptly and that no conclusive third installment of the film was ever made.The film continues from the earlier Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, directed and co-written by John McNaughton, which starred Michael Rooker as the title character.Trivia: For those of you that don't know, and are seeing this film for the first time, the character of Henry is based on the real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas(August 23, 1936 - March 13, 2001).Lucas was arrested in Texas and on the basis of his confessions hundreds of unsolved murders attributed to him were officially classified as cleared up. Lucas was convicted of murdering 11 people and condemned to death for a single case with an unidentified victim. He recanted all his statements and a study by the Attorney General of Texas concluded he had falsely confessed; the death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1998. On March 13, 2001, Lucas died in prison from heart failure at age 64. He is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery in Huntsville, Texas. Lucas' grave is currently unmarked due to incidents of vandalism or theft.The sequel is directed by Chuck Parello and shows Henry as a drifter who is looking for work. He finds employment with a port-o-john company where he meets two employees, Kai and his wife Cricket. They take pity on Henry when they learn that he is a homeless drifter and offer him a room in their home. While there he meets Cricket's emotionally fragile teenage niece, Louisa. Louisa eventually becomes close and falls in love with Henry.Similar to the first film, Henry reveals his dark-side to Kai. He involves Kai in his random murders and threatens to expose him to his wife Cricket if he ever leaves him or reveals his secret to anyone.Watch the film to find out what happens next.More Serial Killer films: Copycat, Bone Daddy, The Bone Collector, The Watcher(2000), To Catch A Killer, Confessions Of A Serial Killer, Deranged, The Deliberate Stranger, Dahmer, The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer (1993), Ted Bundy, Citizen X, Evilenko, The Boston Strangler (1968), Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation, The Gray Man.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, part two (1998) was an ill advised and unwelcome sequel to the dark and brutal film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). Many things are missing from this film that made the first one so memorable such as the original director and Michael Rooker. Without those you just have an average run-of-the-mill low budget slasher movie. The movie lacks motivation and a theme. The film makers turns Henry into just another movie monster who kills his victims creatively at every turn.The film follows the further exploits of Henry. He travels around the back woods of America continuing his murderous spree. Unlike the first film, we never get a glimpse into his sick and twisted mind. It's better to just forget this movie and pretends that it never happened. That's how I feel about this movie.Not recommended for fans and non-fans of the original. Others definitely need not apply.

This is one sorry sequel to an outstanding, disturbing original film.Everything that made the original "Henry" such a great film is lacking in this travesty. The script is lame, the characters are clichés, the acting is marginal at best and the special effects are anything but special. I picked the video up in a bargain bin for $2.99 and still think I paid too much. The movie centers around Henry's partnership with an arsonist. Do yourself a favor and don't "burn" 85 minutes of your life watching this stinkfest. Another reviewer lamented that this sequel didn't continue with the true story of Henry Lee Lucas. The DVD release of the original film has attracted quite a cult following, so perhaps a better sequel could be in the offing.

Okay, this movie was pretty bad. The acting was simply terrible in my opinion...but maybe I just didn't like the characters. I have not watched the first one but I am pretty sure it'll be 100x more better then this one. (I hope..) Don't waste your money on watching this movie, trust me.