The Masked Reviewer has not yet seen the first Jeepers Creepers film.  For anyone else that hasn't seen the first film, don't worry...you don't need to see the first film to get the full effect.  The basic premise, which is mentioned in every ad and the first thing you see on the screen when the film begins is "Every 23 years for 23 days, it gets to eat."  You'll also get to hear this repeated another 23 times during the film, just in case you forget. 

Twenty-three years?  Must be some kind of horror monster's Zone diet.  Obviously, it works, because the monster...Jeepers?...looks fabulous.  High cheek bones, healthy coloring, and good teeth. 

What you have here is your standard summer movie horror flick.  Those are measured against their own standard.  The purpose of this type of film isn't to change your view on the world, but to be a rollercoaster ride.  If it's startling, scary, terrifying, and maybe even funny, then it's doing its job. 

The cast is made up of mostly unknown young actors (at least, they're unknown to the Masked Reviewer).  The "big star" is Ray Wise, who looks familiar because he's been around for a long time, but it would be difficult to say what his big role was.  Jonathan Breck reprises his role as Jeeper (or is it Creeper?)

The film isn't terribly scary.  There are only a handful of cat scares in the film.  It does, however, create a nice bit of tension.  You don't always know what's going to happen next, and that's a good thing.  But, some people may find the film to be scarier because it's not a constant scream fest.  The creature is sort of an odd mix of funny and creepy, but not terrifying.  You get the chance to see it quite a bit, and in this type of movie, that often takes away from some of the scariness.

 It sort of acts like an animal, but not really.  We never get to learn very much about poor Mr. Jeeper.  A little back story might have made it more interesting. But, maybe that happened in the first film. 

The writing is middle-of-the-road teen horror.  The teens in the movie do a lot of things that, if anyone in their right mind should find themselves in such a situation, would never do.  Even if you do it really slowly.  The dialogue was kind of weak, punctuated by a teenage jock asking another teenage jock if he thinks he's the "cock of the walk."  Now, when's the last time you heard a teenager say that?  When's the last time you heard an 80-year-old say that?  Has anyone ever said that?  Jeepers creepers.

Remember Bill Paxton as Private Hudson in Aliens?  Running around, freaking out, saying "game over, man, game over!"  This film has the feel of a bunch of Private Hudsons together.  Just so you know.

The pacing of the film is good...no time is wasted with set-up.  Every 23 years it eats for 23 days.  Start the killing.  As it should be.  It moves along at a good pace, and you don't know who will live or who will die.  That helps you keep interest all the way through.

Though it's not particularly terrifying, Jeepers Creepers 2 does have some funny moments in it.  There aren't any screamingly hilarious parts, but it's a nice blend of moderately funny, somewhat scary, and interesting.  It's certainly not boring.  The Masked Reviewer believes that a horror movie must have at least one unique or compelling moment to be worth seeing.  That can be a new way to kill someone, or a spectacular decapitation, or an awesome/disgusting special effect.  Jeepers Creepers 2 has a great moment, which probably isn't worth the price of admission on its own, but it was definitely fun.

An interesting side-note...Francis Ford Coppola was an executive producer for this film and the first Jeepers Creepers.  Huh. 

If you like standard teeny-bopper horror films like Friday the 13th, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Final Destination, you may find Jeepers Creepers 2 to be right up your gruesome alley. 

If you want a little horror film that's entertaining all the way through but not too scary, this is a good choice.  It's not too gory for most people, either.  Sure, there's some gore, but toughen up already.

Expectation from the Title: Part 2 in the 10 part Ken Burns documentary that looks at the history of where you get 'dem peepers. 

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  It's nice to see euphemisms such as "jeepers creepers" making a comeback, what with all the foul language the kids use these days.

The Pros: Nice blend of humor, not too scary, interesting plot.  The evil creature is interesting to watch and well played.

The Cons: No nudity.  Come on!  What's up with that?  Not too scary.