Listonixio
Fresh and Exciting
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
spencergrande6
For some reason the whole Candyman mythos is retconned a bit here. They claim he was born and killed in New Orleans and not Chicago now. I don't know why. I would like to think it's part of the very nature of urban legends in that they change to suit whomever needs them. Region by region, time by time.Overall this is a standard retread of the original but lacking the verve, originality, and sense of theme it had. It doesn't expand on it in any significant way, or add anything that wasn't done before. It's more of the same but less well done.
Michael_Elliott
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)** (out of 4) Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan) arrives in New Orleans to investigate why her brother (William O'Leary) has been thrown into job suspected of murder. It seems the brother believes that their father was killed by Candyman (Tony Todd) but the sister doesn't believe this until she uncovers a family secret.CANDYMAN was released and was a surprise hit with fans and critics. It remains one of the best movies of its type and is quite scary in its own right. CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH isn't a bad movie but at the same time you can't help but be highly disappointed with it. Once again a very good horror movie has a sequel that seems to be more money driven than anything else.I say that because there's a lot missing from this picture. The biggest issue that I had with it is the fact that there really aren't any scares here. The first film managed to have an atmosphere of its own and the scares were there. That's certainly not the case here as there's just no tension to be found anywhere and I'd argue that there's not even an atmosphere, which is too bad since the New Orleans settings could have had more done with them.I do think the film tried to be something more than your typical slasher but there just wasn't enough done with it. The entire story dealing with the slave and killing of Daniel Robitaille was very good and the film could have used more scenes like these. Todd, as you'd expect, is excellent in his role as are Rowan and O'Leary. Director Bill Condon certainly made a professional looking movie and there's no doubt that it's well-made. Still, CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH is mildly entertaining but a letdown.
ersinkdotcom
Although its roots lie in the legend of Bloody Mary, the "Candyman" franchise built a mythos all its own in the span of three movies. Actor Tony Todd would argue that the entire series revolves around a tragic story of unrequited love and the vengeance rained down upon those who dare disturb the tortured soul of the title character. I would absolutely agree with him, especially after "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" expands on the backstory of our antagonist.Candyman moves on to New Orleans and starts his horrific murders once more. This time, his intended victim is a school teacher. Her father was killed by Candyman, and brother wrongly accused of the murders.Instead of the usual horror film retread we get when it comes to sequels, "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" actually expands on the history of the character by visually telling his tale on screen. It pounds home the tragedy surrounding Candyman and brings more of a sense of humanity to the "villain" of the story. Tony Todd brings Candyman to life and makes you both feel sorry for and fear his character. He brings an air of refinement to what could have been just another slasher icon. Veronica Cartwright plays a widowed southern belle who has a secret of her own to keep. Even in 1995, she was already a veteran of the horror genre because of roles in "Alien," "The Birds," "The Witches of Eastwick," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and more.I'm fascinated by writer and atheist Clive Barker's attraction to Christian religion and Catholic imagery as showcased once again in "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh." This time it's exemplified through the events of Mardis Gras in New Orleans and the religious meanings behind the celebration. I also found it interesting that one of the main focuses of the lynch mob was a middle-aged lady carrying her Bible and encouraging the torture of Candyman. "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" is rated R for violence and gore, and for some sexuality and language. There's the expected amount of blood and on screen butchering you would expect from a horror movie. A couple are shown having sex in public on two occasions. They're nude and shown from the side, but no actual privates are shown. "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" rises above what could have been just another pedestrian follow-up to a slasher flick. Instead of simply lining up new faceless victims for the killer to take out with his hook hand for no reason, our dreadful anti-hero is given substance and motivation for his actions. An air of mystery and a dark family secret add another level of elegance to the movie.
Jackson Booth-Millard
The first Candyman film was a great scary movie for its time, it is obvious a sequel was only made in an attempt to cash in on the success, which is easy to do with scenes containing more blood, from director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2). Basically in New Orleans, the Latin carnival Mardi Gras is proceeding, "farewell to the flesh" relates to the festivities, and the carnival is celebrating lent, and it is at this time that murders are being committed around the city. People are still testing out the theory of whether the Candyman (Tony Todd) exists or not, by saying his name in the mirror five times they see if he will appear, and of course every time he does, and brutally kills them. Young schoolteacher Annie Tarrant (Kelly Rowan) has some connection to the man who became the Candyman, slave Daniel Robitaille who, seen in flashback, was punished for having a relationship with a white woman, and the villagers captured him, sawed his right hand off, replacing it with a large hook, and smothered him in honey (hence the name Candyman) for the bees to cover and sting him to death. She says his name in the mirror five time, but he does not want to kill her, because of the connection she has to him he sees her as his love that he will take back with him to hell, and until she accepts her "destiny" and goes with him he will kill many people around her, and of course those who call his name five time in the mirror. Of course in the end, following investigations of the origins of the Candyman, numerous people being murdered, including Candyman expert Phillip Purcell (Michael Culkin) and Annie's mother Octavia (Veronica Cartwright), and being accused of involvement in the murders, she finds a way to defeat him and send him back to hell, and he is killed off once again before the end of Mardi Gras. Also starring Timothy Carhart as Paul McKeever, William O'Leary as Ethan Tarrant, Fay Hauser as Pam Carver, Bill Nunn as Reverend Ellis, Matt Clark as Honore Thibideaux, David Gianopoulos as Detective Ray Levesque and Joshua Gibran Mayweather as Matthew Ellis. Todd is still relatively creepy with his hook for a hand and saying a couple of familiar lines in his cool voice, but the rest of the cast are naff, the origins story is relatively good to watch, and the deaths are still bloody, but it is predictable and a bit ridiculous, it is a rather pointless horror sequel. Adequate!
