RATING: B

ITN DIstribution presents a Frenchie Films/ITN Films production. Directed and edited by William Stead. Produced by Darren Goodwin. Written by John Oak Dalton; based on the character created by E.C. Segar. Cinematography by Dom Ellis.

Stars Lara Sas, Harriet Hope, Fitim DeStena, Olivia Lennox, Ashley Bedford, Christopher Morley, Jenna Wilson, Jodie Bennet, and Steven Murphy. 

The first of last year’s trio of Popeye horror films returns with a sequel that not only brings back the murderous sailor to another campground, but we get more about his backstory.

In 1987, at Camp Thimble Lake, two counselors break into the cabin of caretaker Victor. There, they discover a videotape of what the camp used to be. It was a government lab created by the B.L.U.T.O. organization. The company created a super soldier serum called SPN-X. A young Navy recruit named Johnny became the test subject of SPN-X and it has made him stronger, faster, and more intelligent. Having escaped, he has sought revenge on his classmate and was given a nickname: Popeye.

Five years after wreaking havoc at Sweetville, Popeye has been contained in another lab near the outskirts of Camp Thimble Lake. The government has consistently been using him as a test subject and once again, he has escaped. When Alice, a young teen whose parents were killed by Popeye in the Sweetville murders, comes across Popeye, she tries to warn head counselor Cassie and makes her escape. However, Popeye begins to unleash his havoc again, but not just the government plans to stop him, but someone who is ready to seek revenge for the Sweetville murders. 

Last year gave us two major characters in the public domain: Steamboat Willie and Popeye. The former had films like the very abysmal Mouse Trap but had a more stellar output including Mouse of Horrors, I Heart Willie, and Screamboat. As for the latter, we had a trio of films in Popeye’s Revenge, Popeye the Slayer Man and Shiver Me Timbers. This particular film is the sequel to the first film listed, Popeye’s Revenge, and while the first film turned Popeye into a meshing of Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees, we get more into his backstory and more wreaking havoc at a camp.

Steven Murphy returns as the titular Popeye and this time, he not only has a revenge seeking survivor of the original film after him, but the government wants him as well. The film starts with a cold open set in 1987 where we learn exactly how Popeye came to be. Then we see a glimpse of the kills from Popeye’s Revenge before we learn that he was contained in a government lab where once again, he’s pumped up with the SPN-X serum before he escapes. 

This time, we have a new crop of potential victims at the campground that was the former location for the creation of Popeye. Lara Sas does a great job as head counselor Cassie, who just wants to keep things in order. The other four counselors involved, well, judging from their attitudes, you can tell they are the ones who will fall prey to Popeye. However, there is a bit of a twist with the character of Alice, played by Olivia Lennox. Alice’s parents were killed in the first film but Popeye sees her resembling a particular face (not sister Olive Oyl) but then there’s the survivor of the first film Dylan, now played by Fitim DeStena, who had disappeared only to return possibly to find a way to stop the killer sailor. 

The kills compared to Popeye’s Revenge are a bit tamer this time around. There’s still some head squashing but it’s not as graphic compared to the original. Nevertheless, they still make an impact where Popeye uses a vape as a weapon for one victim. The film does leave it open as there are two back-to-back sequels set for release later this year! 

Popeye Returns is an okay sequel that gives us more insight into his backstory and while the kills are a bit tamer, Steven Murphy once again does a good job as the murderous sailor. It’s making anticipate the next two films of this franchise.