By the end of the first film, it appeared that Chromeskull was finally dispatched by the film’s heroine. Laid to Rest 2 picks up right where the first one left off with the killer being taken away by a group of shady individuals that are somehow connected to Chromeskull.
Turns out, they are a part of some organization that is run by Chromeskull and allows him to go about killing people and covering up for him along the way. Again, we are left in the dark about why this organization is helping someone go about killing a number of women and others for his own pleasure and recording the events as they happen. The only assumption is that they are being paid very well and money trumps innocent life.
Most of this storytelling about this organization and its connection to Chromeskull is completely unnecessary. In fact, it hinders much of the actual storytelling surrounding the other characters because we are consistently focusing on these characters in the organization and their own motivations. The biggest of which is Brian Austin Green’s character of Preston, who gets an itch to be a killer himself and sets off to become Chromeskull #2 â killing the lead female character from the original, kidnapping other chicks and getting a Chromeskull tattoo to seal the deal he’s the same as the killer.
This doesn’t sit well with Chromeskull #1 as he doesn’t like anyone encroaching on his territory or killing those he wants to massacre himself. Again, it’s silly; it doesn’t serve the film any purpose and could have been left completely out of the equation.
Then the other storyline revolves around Jess (Mimi Michaels) that for whatever reason they added to the plotline is losing her eyesight (something that has nothing to do with what we see happen later). She becomes the fixation of Chromeskull and wanting to be the main attraction of his latest video-taped murder. After she gets kidnapped, she gets some help from the other remaining survivor from the first film Tommy (Thomas Dekker reprising his role) that can’t shake having all those around him meet an untimely demise.
Unless we get a third installment that will explain some of these oddities in the first two films it goes without saying that the story leaves a lot to the imagination. How is Chromeskull choosing his victims? What’s the deal with the organization that helps him out? Does he have some sort of supernatural abilities that allows him to take so much abuse and keep on going as well as have increased strength?
Bottom line, stay for the awesome kills and effects but leave your brain at the door.
