Rating: C
Dir: Richard Franklin
Star: Anthony Perkins, Meg Tilly, Vera Miles, Robert Loggia
Coincidence that this went into production not long after Hitchcock exited this world? Or is that being too cynical of me? Either way, 22 years after the original, Universal decided to go ahead with a sequel – Perkins initially turned them down, but when it was clear they were going ahead anyway (Christopher Walken being one of the possible replacements mentioned), he signed on. The results are pretty mediocre, and act mostly to make you appreciate the strengths of the original, though remains stil eminently watchable. Bates is released from the asylum, over and above the protestations of Lila Loomis (Miles, reprising her role from the first film as Marion Crane’s sister).
He returns to the motel, and befriends Mary (Tilly), a waitress at the diner where he gets a job. However, it’s not long before Mother’s presence is once again being felt around the house above the motel. Is Bates sliding back to insanity – if he had ever been sane – or is someone trying to set him up? This is a good deal more sympathetic to Norman than the original, and there is considerable doubt, for the most part, as to which direction the film will eventually tilt. I can’t say it’s handled particularly-well, however: I just didn’t really care about the outcome, and the big twist in the final scene is presented in the expectation of a lot more shock than it actually generates.
Still, watching Bates struggle with his inner demons while making sandwiches isn’t a chore – the look on his face when Mary hands him that knife to cut them with, is priceless. While Tilly is solid enough in her role too, there isn’t much here that could be described as shocking or transgressive – the movie proceeds as if cinematically, time had stood still since Norman first switched on the sign. Probably the best thing you can say is that, while it may not have been the wisest idea on the world, it was at least a bit more justifiable than Gus Van Sant’s remake.