This film follows directly on from where the first CHILDREN OF THE CORN left off. In the opening moments, we see police discovering all the remains of the dead adults which is quite a disturbing image - these grey corpses look as lifelike as possible. It's the same with the scene in a cornfield where a couple discover even more strewn human remains scattered around. The special effects are good, definitely, but the plot? Oh dear.

Essentially, it's just a remake of the first film but with better special effects and less suspense/atmosphere. Unfortunately for us, the special effects are indeed the only things which have improved, for the first film had superior acting as well. This cast look like they have walked straight out of a television movie - the father and son heroes also have an ongoing feud, which culminates in some sappy sentimentalising at the end of the film where they make up - as if we couldn't guess. It's true, the acting is extremely poor in this film, nobody is remotely realistic and the camera is more interested in lingering on the physiques of the female characters rather than exploring their, well, characters.

Another fault lies in that they had to add a totally irrelevant subplot in - something about growing toxic mould on the corn and selling it - which almost ruins the whole story. This is about supernatural stuff, not some underground crime scheme. It's just cliché after cliché - a Native American turns up, and, surprise, surprise, talks about mankind harming Mother Nature and the rest. We've heard it all before, pal, and we're just not interested. They try to make some scenes spooky but the child actors are poor and unrealistic - especially the lead, who is no match for Isaac from the first film.

And so, as I am finding with so many '90s horror movies, the special effects are the only worthwhile things in the whole film. There is a high gore level here, and the violence is surprisingly sadistic - witness one old man being stabbed to death with needles in his legs. Of course, if we cared about the characters these gory moments might have been powerful and moving, but as it is they're just wince inducing. One man bleeds spontaneously as a kid stabs a wooden effigy of him in the film's bloodiest moment, and another guy has a piece of corn impale his throat (as ridiculous on screen as it sounds here). The biggest disappointment, though, is the boring, predictable ending where we don't even get to see the monster (only some rip-off PREDATOR POV shots). Just some people fighting and burning. Was this the end of the franchise? Well, maybe it should have been, but CHILDREN OF THE CORN III: URBAN HARVEST followed shortly afterwards.

The authorities find some 50 dead bodies in the secluded town of Gatlin, Nebraska. Suspicion falls on a youth cult. Tabloid reporter John Garrett (Terence Knox) arrive on assignment with his estranged son Danny. They are staying at a B&B run by Angela Casual. The big news operations have all left. The kids continue to worship "He Who Walks Behind the Rows".

It's a B-movie sequel for a B-movie Stephen King story. The B's do add up. I'm still willing to sleepwalk through this boredom horror. It's got a hot girl and a bland guy. It's rather flat. Then there is the old lady in a wheelchair. The scene is played for humor and it falters. It's not scary. It's not funny. It's not tense. It's just stupid and at that point, I have to give up.

I haven't seen all the Children of the Corn incarnations and movies, but this definitely is not the final one. There are quite a few more that were thrown our way. But horror movies like to give the feeling of something being final to entice audiences to watch them.

Speaking of enticing, our two main characters are quite good looking. They might be a bit dull and not as engaging as one might wish, but still way better than the bland villain kid in this one. Well there are worse movies and better movies ... if you really want to watch it, there are some merits (no pun intended) ...