Tremors 2: Aftershocks Review (1996) Worth Watching?

It's about Earl, now with a new sidekick, fighting more Graboids and their trio of evil offspring: Shriekers.

Tremors 2: Aftershocks was directed by S. S. Wilson (who also directed Tremors 4: The Legend Begins) and stars Fred Ward (from Tremors), Helen Shaver (from The Believers) and Michael Gross (from Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell and Sometimes They Come Back... Again).

The Worms have turned.

The original Tremors came out in 1990 and was loved by fans of both horror and comedy. Even the mainstream critics loved it. Well, except for some jackass at Variety who stated in a snooty accent (at least that's how I hear it) "[Tremors] can't decide on what it wants to be: flat-out funny, which it's usually not, or a scarefest, which it's usually not either." News flash nerd, a movie doesn't need to pick a side. Horror comedies are a thing and have been since 1922 when silent film One Exciting Night introduced the combined genre. Tremors was a hit and people loved this funny little creature feature.

Why it took 6 long years for this sequel to hit the shelves is beyond me. They stalled for awhile to try to get Kevin Bacon on board, but eventually moved on without him. It obviously had its fan base considering the franchise went on to roll out 7 movies and a TV show.

Tremors 2 is generally loved by everyone, many people including myself consider it better than the original. I personally put it up there with some of the best sequels in all of horror like Child's Play 2 and Psycho 2, both of which I also think are better than their originals. Even original screeners back in the day loved it. Release was actually delayed because reviews were so good the studio started to second guess their direct-to-video plan.

Everything about Tremors 2 just feels right. Earl being the main guy and Grady the taxi driver as his sidekick was actually a lot more fun than Earl being the sidekick to Val (Kevin Bacon). Earl and Grady are polar opposite personalities, which every buddy cop show proves works. The Mexico setting, the quirky cast of characters and especially the soundtrack just kinda form it into a real comfort movie. I'm not even the biggest fan of creature features, but I could watch Tremors 2 again and again. I'm writing this after watching the entire series, through part 6, and can say that this is my favorite of the franchise.

Tremors introduced us to Graboids, the giant subterranean worms that hunted by sound. Tremors 2 gave us Shriekers, smaller creatures Graboids birthed (through asexual reproduction). Shriekers hunt by tracking heat signals which is a brilliant plot detail since it means they're drawn to anything that omits heat, things like cars and communication towers, rendering our heroes helpless.

Tremors 2 is awesome in every way. It's a fun creature feature with a strangely satisfying desert atmosphere and a group of characters who work together to creatively outsmart new creatures.

Worth Watching?

If you haven't seen this one, and you're cool with creature features and old school practical effects, then you owe it to yourself to check out this amazing sequel.

Tremors 2: Aftershocks Review (1996) Worth Watching? - ALL HORROR Tweet it