Hey gang, Valkor here. Now, I’ve gone through my share of films here at TOV. And a lot of them have been really bad. So when a film that’s bad gets a sequel, I would like to think that those behind the first film saw it’s potential and decides to go forward with another. Back in 2014, I reviewed a film called “Krampus: The Christmas Devil”, and while it had a few positives, I felt it wasn’t worth the while. Well, those behind the first film have produced a second titled “Krampus: The Devil Returns"; the thing is, this new film does have some improvements over the first and one of the craziest twists I’ve seen in a long time. But overall it's still a pretty bland experience.
“Krampus: The Devil Returns” takes place five years after the events of the first film and it sees the return of Jeremy Duffin (A.J. Leslie), who is now all “Grizzly Adams” and has gone into something of a seclusion. But he’s brought back into the policemen's fold when Krampus returns and he’s up to his old tricks of kidnapping and killing children who have made Santa’s (Paul Ferm) naughty list. That’s right Santa and Krampus are teaming up once again to make sure all the bad kids are punished for their misdeeds. But when they realize that Duffin is back in action, well they’re itching to take one more crack at him (because Jeremy was the one that got away from Krampus). And to add to the mix, the brother of one of the guys killed in the first movie is also after Jeremy, seeking revenge. And it all comes to a close in one climatic, three-way standoff. Who’s gonna get put down and who will walk away from it all? And will be the end results?
With any bad film, especially one with a “twist”, I’d have spoiled it without as much as a care. However, I’ll jump the gun and say that with “Krampus: The Devil Returns”, it needs to be seen to be believed, especially if you’re aware of the events from the first film. I honestly did not see that one coming!
The Good:
“Krampus: The Devil Returns” does a lot to try and improve upon the first film. While overall it doesn’t help all that much, it does make this pill easier to swallow. My main issue with the first film is that it didn’t show kids, such as kid Jeremy, actually doing bad things that would warrant Krampus’s wrath. Here we actually see kids mess up and the end results of Krampus giving one of them a serious beatdown. Yea, this film goes there! I also enjoyed that there’s more interaction between Santa and Krampus, with Santa now more involved than in the previous film. It’s just too crazy to hear Santa, who is normally shown in a jollier light, act as the aggressor. And speaking of “going there”, all I can say is "wow!" about that ending! I would have never expected that reveal, considering I was almost checked out of the film when it went down. But after it happened, it snapped me right back into it. If you survived sitting through the first film and want to check out the continuation, that one scene in “Krampus: The Devil Returns” will make it worth it.
The Bad:
But even with the improvements, "Krampus: The Devil Returns" is still a “meh” film. My main gripe is that there should be more of a hunt between Jeremy and Krampus. Jeremy’s reason for coming out of seclusion is that Krampus is back and taking kids once more. Then there’s Krampus who simply wants revenge. Why is that not the entire focus of the film? And then this brother shows up and things kind of go off the rails until the end. The brother’s revenge plot completely distracts from the main story and is entirely unnecessary to the plot. I would have enjoyed watching Jeremy attempt to track down Krampus, while Krampus is kidnapping/killing kids. Like this is Krampus luring Jeremy in and then BAM! Hitting him with that insane reveal! I would have enjoyed really enjoyed that!
The Ugly:
Seeing more of Krampus’s face! Great job on the mask! But he doesn’t need to talk!
“Krampus: The Devil Returns” is available now. And if you’ve previously watched the first film and interested in what happens afterward, then you may want to check this one out; however, I think you’ll still walk away unsatisfied. And if you’ve never seen the first film, you’re not really missing all that much. So go in at your own risk. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving “Krampus: The Devil Returns” a 2.
