Movie Info
Movie Name: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Studio: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Genre(s): Horror
Release Date(s): March 17, 1995
MPAA Rating: R
Remember when an alien burst from that guy’s chest? How about a hook?
Coleman Tarrant (Michael Bergeron) is accused of killing Candyman researcher Phillip Purcell (Michael Culkin) in a bar restroom. Out to prove her brother innocent, Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan) finds herself drawn into a web of mystery surrounding the urban legend of Candyman and possible ties to the New Orleans community. The Candyman (Tony Todd) has taken an interest in Annie, and those close to Annie will pay!
Directed by Bill Condon, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (sometimes called Candyman 2) is a slasher horror film. A sequel to Candyman from 1992, the movie was released to poor reviews and a less than stellar box-office return.
Bees–check! Mirror–check! Nickname–check! Hook–check!
I actually saw Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh in the theater. I remember it was one of those “is anything playing this late” type of movies where you just go to see something. I enjoyed the original Candyman which had a surprising amount of style, but Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh feels more mundane and lacking originality.
The movie does advance the story of the Candyman but it loses a lot of the nuances and style of the first film. The dread hanging over the first Candyman is traded for gore and guts. Like the previous Candyman, the character finds herself (and her family) framed for the murders…but unlike the last movie, it feels like not a lot of thought was given to the ending which seems to me still leaves Annie’s character framed for murder.
I am a master of poses!
The acting isn’t the worst, but the plot doesn’t help the actors. Tony Todd remains creepy and his deep, booming voice is commanding. Kelly Rowan is a bit more solid than most “scream queens” and her character isn’t a pushover even if the plot is. Veronica Cartwright has a small part in the film as Rowan’s mother, and Michael Bergeron returns as the Candyman “expert” from the first film.
The movie loses a lot of the visual appealing nature of the original Candyman film. Candyman was rather impressively shot, but Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh feels like it could have utilized the New Orleans and Deep South setting a lot better.
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is no great film, but it is an adequate film. It has aged better than some of the other horror films of the period (even if things like the bee swarm look weak. The movie does shine when compared to the third entry in the series, but that doesn’t make this movie “great”. Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh was followed by Candyman 3: Day of the Dead in 1999.
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