Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
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- Release Date: March 17, 1995
- Directed by: Bill Condon
- Written by: Rand Ravich and Mark Kruger
- Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Series: Candyman
Despite my love for the original Candyman film, I actually put off watching the sequels for many years. I had heard that they were nowhere near as good as the first, and were disappointing enough to kill off the series after only three films. In my first year of college or so, I picked up copies of the second and third films for cheap, and decided to finally give them a try. When I finally watched the second film, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, I was surprised to find out that it was actually a pretty solid sequel, even if it doesn't match the heights of its predecessor.
Whereas the first film took place in Chicago, this film moves the action to New Orleans, Louisiana, which was Candyman / Daniel Robitaille's birthplace as the son of a slave. There are several things that I really love about this movie, and they mainly have to do with the Candyman's character himself. Not only is Tony Todd just as good in the role as he was in the first film, but Farewell to the Flesh actually shows us his backstory that was only talked about before. We get some flashback scenes that show the horrific torture and execution that he was subjected to just for being a Black man who fell in love with a white woman. Tony Todd shows a lot of emotion and terror in this scene, and seeing him plead for his life as he's slowly tortured is a really hard thing to watch. When talking about this character, I always like to say that Daniel Robitaille did nothing wrong, and I mean it. It's a very sad transformation that this character goes through, but it's also satisfying to see him take his vengeance for being so horrifically wronged. In addition, while the first film was about the Candyman searching for his lost love, this one is about him searching for his descendents and ensuring that they remember where they came from. It feels like a natural progression from where the first film left off, and if you're interested in the aspects that I've mentioned so far, you'll probably have quite a bit to enjoy here.
However, not everything about this movie is great. The film's location of New Orleans during Mardi Gras, while providing some neat visuals of people in costumes, doesn't have the same haunting atmosphere that the Cabrini-Green Chicago setting had. Philip Glass returns to do the score, and while it sounds just as good as the first film's, it doesn't quite match the more brightly colored visuals and more lively environment. In addition, some of the acting can be rough in spots, especially by the main character's brother. Every time he speaks or tries to emote fear, it simply sounds like he's reciting his lines with no real feeling behind it, and it takes me out of the movie. The Candyman's demise also suffers from some pretty noticeable 90s CGI. It's not a bad death in concept, but it looks so cheesy compared to the first film's finale. However, I'm willing to look past these downsides because I simply think of them as rough bumps in otherwise entertaining ride.
While not a perfect sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh provides enough mythos expansion and satisfying death scenes to please fans of the genre. It may not pack the social commentary or Gothic punch that the first film had, but if you're a fan of the character and want more to enjoy, then this movie provides exactly that. I mentioned before how the second and third films were poorly received, and I really don't think that this movie deserves its negative reception. The third film, on the other hand... that's a whole other story.