When the rebooted BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER both set the box office alight in the Summer 2010 movie season and earned almost unanimous praise from film critics and audiences, it was all but a certainty that a sequel would be on the way. Surprisingly, that sequel is looking at a release date of early 2014, a rather longer than usual wait for a follow-up in this day and age. But, once again, your intrepid reporter has managed to get his hands on an early rough cut. And once again, I find myself absolutely blown away.
The whole gang from the first film is back: Taylor Momsen as cheerleading vampire slayer Buffy; Billy Ray Cyrus as her mentor, Rodney Giles; Zac Efron as Xander, Daveigh Chase as Willow, Kristen Stewart as Cordy, Selena Gomez as Dawn and yes, even Hollywood’s latest child star meltdown Amanda Bynes as Tara--but not for long. More on that later. Following the events of the first film, Buffy’s ideal life as the most popular girl in school continues, and she and Xander remain as lovely a couple as they were the last time around. But that too might be about to change...
After a small battle between the Scoobies and a gang of disposable vampires, we soon see a couple of new arrivals in town: a smooth, vicious vamp named James Harding (KC Collins) and his girlfriend, Drusilla (Summer Glau). They waste little time in announcing their presence when they lead a massive squadron of vampires in an attack on the Sunnydale High homecoming game, a battle that costs the lives of hundreds of Sunnydale students--including Tara. While too late to save her friend, Buffy appears to be about to extract some measure of vengeance by staking Drusilla, but at that moment Harding proves himself to be no ordinary vampire:
No, James Harding can REWIND TIME! A talent he uses to allow his beloved to escape stakage.
The rest of the gang emerges with some cuts and scratches, but otherwise mostly unharmed. For her part, Buffy is sent into a massive rage and a nearly unquenchable thirst for revenge. When a concerned Xander urges her to be careful and to not lose herself in her anger, she coldly dumps him and heads off from the rest of the Scoobies. This proves to be a MAJOR mistake, when she later finds herself all alone in an alleyway not far from the Bronze nightclub, hopelessly outnumbered by vampires...
... until she is rescued by a shadowy figure called Angel (Matt Smith).
There’s sparkage between the two immediately. Angel reveals that he’s been watching her for some time, but that he also knows these two new bloodsuckers in town. But he knew this Harding guy by another name. I swear, my jaw hit the effin’ floor when he said that other name was...
... wait for it...
... WAIT for it...
... Spike!
Of course, Spike has more on his mind than a thirst for blood. He and Drusilla have arrived in Sunnydale specifically to retrieve the calcified remains of a demon called Alhatca. Its body is pivotal to a ceremony through which they entire to suck this world into a demonic dimension. There’s just one ingredient they need: the blood of a Slayer. Intent on stopping them, Buffy leads her gang (and Angel) into battle. But the Slayer remains emotionally compromised, blinded by her fury, and in combat, Drusilla gets the better of her before doing the unthinkable...
... Drusilla TURNS Buffy!
That’s right. Our heroine is now herself a sadistic vampire, and all too willing to provide her own blood for the ceremony. The rest of the Scoobies beat a hasty retreat to regroup, desperate to find a way to restore Buffy to her old self and knowing that time is of the essence. Neither Angel nor Xander like it very much when Giles observes that killing Buffy might be necessary. When Angel leads a second charge to stop the ceremony, Willow dedicates herself to the task of rescuing Buffy. She conducts a spell to summon her future, alternate self (Alyson Hannigan). Future!Willow confirms that she knows this Spike guy, and that he is a very formidable adversary. The Willow’s work together and come up with a spell that will indeed expel the vampire from within Buffy’s body...
... just as Angel, left with no other choice after the portal has been opened, runs Buffy through with a sword!
When she doesn’t turn to dust, Angel is horrified as he realizes the truth. They share their first kiss moments before Angel has to shove her into the abyss, in order to save the rest of existence. When Willow arrives, she’s devastated by the loss of now two of her closest friends... but remembering the events of earlier, she drags Spike away and forces him to use his time-rewind, so that she can cast her spell on Buffy BEFORE the portal is open and Angel has to kill her!
I thought the last film was brilliant, but this just raised the stakes for the franchise... if you’ll forgive the pun. I missed Angel the first time around, and it was nice to have him back. And WHAT a marvelous, impactful twist on such an iconic moment from the original series! Good thing I was watching at home, cause I went through three boxes of Kleenex on that scene alone. And I’m secure in my manhood enough to admit that.
Breathtaking. A simply marvelous achievement. SIX stars out of five!
