Cast: Amy Irving, Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J. Smith-Cameron, Rachel Blanchard, Monica, Zachery Ty Bryan, Charlotte Lopez, Mena Suvari
Director: Katt Shea
Producer: Paul Monash
Screenplay: Rafael Moreu
Cinematography: Donald M. Morgan
Music: Daniel B. Harvey
U.S. Distributor: United Artists
The Rage: Carrie 2 can be seen as a sequel to the 1976 horror feature, Carrie, but it's really more of a '90s style remake. Unlike most second installments, however, this one manages to improve upon certain aspects of the original (most notably characterization). The screenplay, by Rafael Moreu, develops a protagonist who is in some ways more sympathetic than Sissy Spacek's Carrie. Another enhancement is that the supporting characters are less cartoonish here than in the first outing. The central problem, and it's a big one, is that The Rage follows the original so closely that there's little hope of anything surprising happening. We know from the beginning that Rachel (Emily Bergl) is going to be the victim of a petty prank and a bloodbath will result. Not only does this defuse any possible tension, but it casts a pall over the entire movie. Even as we enjoy the sweet romance between the outcast and the jock, we're aware that it's all going to end badly. I wish The Rage had taken a risk and done something different during its final act; the redundancy saps the entertainment value.
As was true of Carrie, the horror aspect of The Rage is nearly non-existent until the end. Most of the film is concerned with the day-to-day activities of Rachel, one of the bottom-feeders at Bates High School. Rachel is pretty much a loner. Her home life is screwed up - her mother is in a mental institution and her foster parents are abusive and uncaring. She only has one real friend: Lisa (Mena Suvari), a vivacious redhead who is closer to Rachel than a sister. Shortly after the opening credits have finished, however, Lisa, despondent and heartbroken over a failed relationship with the football player who took her virginity, throws herself off the school roof. Her death ignites Rachel's long suppressed telekinetic abilities and locker doors all over the building start slamming open.
In the wake of Lisa's suicide, Rachel has no one. Sue Snell (Amy Irving), a guidance counselor who was one of the few survivors of Carrie White's prom night psychic explosion, notices that Rachel is behaving oddly and tries to take the girl under her wing, but Rachel resists her helpful advances. She is more receptive to the overtures made by Jesse (Jason London), a football player with the heart of a romantic who is attracted to Rachel. In fact, he is so taken by her that he dumps his beautiful, popular girlfriend and gets into fights with his teammates defending Rachel's honor. And, while this behavior makes him desirable to Rachel, who has no experience with boys, it doesn't endear him to the "in" crowd. But there's a skeleton in Jesse's closet. Like his fellow football players, he participates in a male-bonding game to see who can score with the most girls. Until he had met Rachel, Jesse had been a big participant, and his so-called friends are more than willing to use the information to damage his new relationship.
The Rage does not contain any religious caricatures or cartoonishly evil individuals. Rachel and Jesse are surprisingly well developed, and their opposites-attract relationship is more effective than that in many recent teenage flicks (including She's All That). The best parts of The Rage are those towards the middle of the film, when Rachel is trying to cope with the death of her only friend and tentatively feeling her way with Jesse. Some of these scenes are genuinely affecting. It helps that both newcomer Emily Bergl (whose Rachel is far more cute than her classmates give her credit for) and Jason London (who looks astoundingly like Brendan Fraser) are appealing, and their interaction generates some comfortable, low-key chemistry.
Of course, it all falls apart at the end, when the script demands that Rachel lose control and take revenge upon all those who have wronged her (as well as a few innocent bystanders). Carnage and fire ensue, and the movie turns into an orgy of blood and flames. While there's some minimal satisfaction in seeing the bad guys get their just desserts, there's no doubt that the ending cheapens the picture as a whole. Director Katt Shea (Poison Ivy), who shows restraint throughout most of the film, pulls out all the stops at the end. Those waiting breathlessly for gore will not be disappointed.
There are some clever moments in the movie. During a pow-wow between football players, pictures of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon can be seen on a nearby wall. A song containing the lyrics "backstabbing liars" plays on the radio as two girls are leading an unwitting Rachel to her downfall. And the camera manages to capture some unusual point-of-view shots (most in black-and-white). Ultimately, however, it's too little. The Rage suffers from an overpowering sense of "been there, done that" that nothing can overcome. I have never been a fan of the original Carrie, but, despite the different slant offered by The Rage, there's not enough new material here for me to like the sequel any better.
© 1999 James Berardinelli