User reviews

Sequel to the surprisingly good first film boast the return of the original film's director, Tibor Takacs , and writer, Michael Nankin. However, this sequel is minus a before-he-was-famous Stephen Dorff and instead has supporting actor Louis Tripp taking over as the lead. He was a pretty funny supporting character in the original, playing the heavy metal nerd who accidentally opens a gate to hell in his friend's backyard by playing a metal album backwards and reading ancient words off of the album. This sequel picks up after the events of the first film, and Tripp and some new friends once again opens the titular gate to have the little demons do his bidding. As you'd expect, things don't go as planned and the new group of teens find themselves running for their lives and trying to figure out how to once again close the gate. This sequel features more stop motion special effects, as well as more monsters, which was a lot of fun. However, lost in this sequel is the childlike Steven Spielberg sensibility. The first film felt like a horror movie version of "E.T." "Explorers" or "The Goonies," but this sequel felt more like a straight horror movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that was a strength of the original film. Overall, despite note being as good as the original, this sequel is well worth watching for fans of 80s horror films (even if "Gate 2" was released in 1990).

The Gate II is just as good as the first in its own little way. It lacks the character build up and (if it where possible)the budget the original had, Yet it brings new depths with it in the introduction of 3 new teens.

I recently bought both The Gate I and II from an on-line auction and these are the original rental boxes and tapes which give you more feeling of the movie as it brings back the memories of watching them with your pals in the 80's and the shock and horror you felt when you first saw the monsters!

Back then the budget of the movie and the acting did not matter, As teen-ages all you wanted to see was the blood, Guts and gore. Now looking back as a more mature horror movie buff, These movies still have a magical feeling to them even if they do not have the fear factor of way back yonder. I love the old horror movies of the 80's, They played such a big part in a lot of teenage lads and lasses lives and this supper little number should be shown the respect it deserves.

In my view this movie just for the sake of the fun factor should be given an 8/10. Get your hands on a copy of them both if you can and enjoy the memories!

While this movie could have been much better, it is what you might expect for a low budget sequel to a b-movie.

With that being said, I think the film recalls enough of the charm that made the first a borderline cult classic to hold the interest of those who were fans of the original. One returning character, one returning plot line, one returning minion.

So for fans, its a nice hidden rental when your Netlflix Que runs low on must-sees, especially if there other fans out they're like me who didn't even know there was a sequel. I happened to be looking to rent the original and saw this as well. It sat at the bottom of my list for a while but finally I decided to give it a chance and while not blow away, I was satisfied enough by the nostalgic cheesiness this film provided.

Gate II (1990)

** (out of 4)

This sequel tries to follow on from the original movie and now it features Terry (Louis Tripp) trying to close the doors that were originally opened. Things don't go as planned as soon he and three friends unleash the minions and two of them decide to try and get some wishes granted.

I must admit that I really wasn't expecting too much out of this sequel and especially since I wasn't overly thrilled with the original movie. There's no question that this film had a much smaller budget to work with and this is obvious during the special effects scenes. With that said, I really thought the movie was entertaining for what it was. Was it a masterpiece or an Oscar-winner? Of course not but it wasn't trying to be. I'm guessing fans of the original aren't fans of this one but for the most part I found it to be entertaining.

For me the best thing about the movie were the four lead characters and performances. I thought Tripp, Simon Reynolds, James Villemaire and Pamela Segall were all very good in their roles and I thought their performances helped make the film all the more entertaining. There's not always monsters or action on the screen so we needed the characters to keep us entertained and for the most part they did. I liked hanging out with them and felt they added to the entertainment value.

The special effects aren't as good as the first film but they are practical ones and for the most part they look good enough for this type of "B" movie. If you're expecting a lot of gore then you'll be disappointed because there isn't much, although there is a great sequence where one character begins to melt in a bathroom. With all of that being said, there's no question that the material wasn't the greatest and there certainly wasn't anything overly original here.

GATE 2 isn't a great movie or even a good one but it's pleasant enough and worth watching.

Sadly, despite some decent creature effects ranging from an actor in a demon costume to old school stop-motion animation, Gate II offers very little to the viewer with it's sub-standard storyline and dull characters. One never really feels that the four teens are in that great a danger...and the low budget seems to have had a greater affect on the production this time around. A surprisingly disappointing sequel (considering that the 1987 original was so well done) that is recommended for the unwavering, die-hard Gate fan only. Gate II was filmed in 1989 but sat on the shelf for three years until the resolution of distribution problems earned it a limited (yet ultimately unsuccessful) theatrical release in 1992.

The Gate (1987) was a quirky horror comedy that I consider to be a classic of its time.

It's not until recently I became aware that it even had a sequel and upon investigation I saw why. The movie was created in 1988 but struggled to get a release, once it finally did it bombed and bombed hard.

Sadly it's clear why this is the case, it's pretty damn bad.

It picks up where we left off as Terry tries to fix all the damage done in the last movie. Sadly things don't go the way he planned and demonic activity kicks off once again.

The laughs are lacking, the horror is minimal and it all looks really quite crummy. Top that off with a really rather lame story and even worse execution and you have a hugely disappointing sequel.

The Good:

Old school practical effects

Follows on from the original

The Bad:

The film

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Some sequels simply shouldn't be made

Some things turn to crap, literally

Okay, "The Gate" was a remotely interesting little film but we can't have too much of this silly child-horror nonsense now, can we? Part two is a thoroughly dull and unknown (with reason!) sequel that adds nothing at all. For no reason whatsoever, "star" of the original Louis Tripp (looking like an early version of Harry Potter) restarts digging in the monstrous demon-hole, and he discovers that the little critters inside have the power to fulfill wishes. So he and three other, very stupid teenagers eventually face the not-so-pleasant consequences of messing around with ancient demons. After an uneventful first half, the script becomes really ridiculous, with the male teens turning into demons themselves, trying to sacrifice the girl teen… Or something like that. The characters are lame, the dialogues sophomoric and – once again – director Tibor Takàks stupidly pretends that it's a serious horror film. Nothing to recommend here

This deserves better than it's getting here! Anyone who's seen The Gate, also starring Louis Tripp, would agree. I looked a long time to find a copy of it and finally got one, very-well-used copy for more $$ than I care to spend on videos, but I paid it because I like to watch this movie a couple times a year, and video stores don't usually carry it. It's a solid 7 outta 10 in my book! Good chemistry among these young actors/actress! Nice, dark, creepy feel to the otherworldliness it depicts! Yeah, I like it a lot! So sue me!

Obviously not learning his lesson from "The Gate", the young man from the first movie again opens a gateway to another dimension. This time he uses the power to get wishes, but the demons don't give you wishes for free, you know? (Obviously, he hadn't seen "Filthy McNasty" at this point.) While I would have liked to see Stephen Dorff return for this sequel (his absence is poorly explained), at least we are treated to Louis Tripp, who is just as geeky as ever (though no longer sporting the Angry Dwarfs jacket or rocking out to Sacrifyx). As I say in my introduction, he thinks that opening a gateway is a good idea... and brings along three people for the ride. A hot chick by early 1990s standards (Pamela Adlon) and two greasers.

Some aspects of this film were really fun and I enjoyed it a lot. The demon (or "minion" to use their term) getting high and causing a serious car incident was nice, and the idea of wishes turning to feces gives a whole new twist to the idea of "wishes in one hand, poo in the other". I really liked the visual of a minion in the jar -- where can I get a pickled minion? And if the stop-motion technology is this advanced in 1992, where was it for "Basket Case"? (Granted, that was much earlier, but how hard could it be?)

What I didn't like about the movie was how forced it seemed, how dull most of it was, and the fact that a fair amount of the plot just doesn't make any sense. Tripp knows how to conjure demons and how to send them back, but waits for the right climactic moment to do so instead of finishing the job right away (not unlike how James Bond's villains don't shoot him when they have the chance). For example, he creates a box that has to be thrown into a pit (like the ring that must be thrown into Mount Doom) but just waits until after his girlfriend is almost sacrificed to Satan. Why? The end is also really cheesy (but I won't say what it is, you'll have to rent this one from Netflix).

Despite my feeling this is a shadow of the original, it was still entertaining and I would have gladly welcomed a third film. There's a certain mythology about this series that I enjoyed, and I would rather sit through something like this than a film of a similar idea that just has no sense of itself. While this movie is not a comedy, clearly the crew wanted to have fun and it shows.

If you really liked the original, this is worth a view. Unlike other sequels, this has the same director and star, so the continuity is very decent (how many sequels spin off from the original intent -- "Leprechaun" comes to mind). If you thought the first one was "just alright", I'm willing to bet this will greatly disappoint you. But hey, a bad 1980s or early 1990s film is still better than the average film today, in my opinion.

The Gate II: Trespassers (1992) was a tired sequel to the sleeper video hit The Gate. That movie made enough money to warrant a sequel. But the distributors left this film sitting on the shelf for a few years. When it was finally released, nobody cared. The film as disappeared into obscurity ever since. The same director and as co-star from the first film return for the sequel.

Louis Tripp reprises his role from part one. His life has continued to go south. His father has become a total drunk and he has no friends. He has moved on since the last movie. The death of his mother has greatly contributed to the decline in his father's health and job status. One day he reminisces to the dark power that he saw that came from The Gate. Will this depressed and desperate teen temper with the "black arts" one more time?

I can see why this film sat on the shelf. They should have released it when they had the chance. But now it's too late. Many fans of the first film have moved on. Should have struck whilst the iron was still hot.

Not recommended.

The excellent ' Gate II ' may differ somewhat in style from it's predecessor, abandoning the rollercoaster ride approach of the original in favour of a more character driven tale, but it still emerges as a solid sequel with enough supernatural incident and effective monsters to keep the viewer engaged. The entire creative team behind the 1986 ( released in 1987 ) horror hit returned for the follow up - director Tibor Takacs, screenwriter Michael Nankin and special effects team Craig Reardon and Randall William Cook, and what we have is a darker battle between mankind and the evil that lurks just beyond ' The Gate '! Louis Tripp, the sole returning cast member, delivers a brilliant performance as Terry, the bespectacled heavy metal fan turned teen sorceror, who deliberately conjures up the demons of ' The Gate ' in the hope that he can use their powers to do some good. He is interrupted in his rituals by a local gang ( including Liz, a love interest for Terry, zestly played by Pamela Segall ) who get in on the act, helping him to bring forth a minion, a creature able to grant their wishes. Of course it all backfires and the gang must somehow find a way to send the minion back before the Unholy Trinity can claim a human sacrifice and create their Hell on Earth! Oddly the movie spent two years on the shelf in the U.S. ( released in 1992 ) and so sadly we never got to see a ' Gate III '.

While it never once achieves the pure creepiness of the original, this inevitable sequel to 'The Gate' is more palatable than one might expect. Michael Nankin and Tibor Takács (who wrote and the directed the first film) smartly take the material in a refreshing new direction here with a now older Terry willfully re-summoning the demons under the belief that he can manipulate them to grant wishes. The mythology driving this plot deviation is never too well explained, but there are several great moments as he manages to capture one such demon and keep it in a cage (the special effects for the creature are phenomenal). The film also manages to achieve lots of laughs thanks to some deft black comedy as it turns out that all the wishes the creature grants are only ever temporary. A French restaurant scene is especially funny as two bullies who have stolen the creature see their wishes turn inside out, one of them having to wipe away excrement that used to be money, while the other finds his face oozing like crazy - all this much to the bafflement of the posh restaurant staff. Unfortunately the film looses its way towards the end with an over-the-top ancient ritual battle/climax that lacks the subtlety of the film's earlier special effects; the upbeat ending is also terribly jarring. For the most part though, this is as wildly inventive a sequel as one could ever really hope for.

Some of the scenes were missing sound atmosphere. The special effects were mostly impressive especially for the age. Dialogue was sometimes a little quiet. The aspect ratio was a bit ugly. Slightly slow pacing in the middle. It followed the first movie well. It took the story a bit further and was quite original in the intense kid's horror area. The ending was a bit horridly happy. There aren't many films like this. It didn't have the brilliance of the first movie but I did enjoy it a lot especially as it had that awesome eighties vibe. What a fantastic ending. Demons for kid's and I like it!

this movie was slower than freakin' 12 Angry Men. but at least 12 Angry Men had a god damn story line or climax. I am confused, a little angry, bewildered to the brink of exhaustion, and want to punch the sequel in its face. The first movie was incredible! it had a creepy element and included interested effects and top notch gore. this one's blood drive is dry as a whistle and the effects seem to be used as filler. actually, the whole movie seems to be a bunch of filler strung together with little scenes with the cool little demon and the actor from the first one, just to try and keep our attention. and THE ENDING. the ending is like me saying that my entire life did not matter when I spent my entire life walking in circles and pulling on my crank. so... my mind is completely numb and bleeding. thank you GATE TWO!

After growing up watching "The Gate" I was very happy to here they had made a sequel to this great film from the 80's. I had watched the sequel back in 1990 or somewhere in that time period and remember thinking it was entertaining. Years later, I just grabbed myself a copy of this film and watched it last night. All I have to say is BORING. What could have been a great idea the writers of the movie filled in with bad dialog, bad acting, and no direction. The only fun part of this movie was the last 20 minutes of the movie where you finally see some of the elements that made the first one so fun. I mean you start to see the classic stop motion animation which made many of the 80's films so great. A lot better than the computer animated stuff that comes out now. In general, this was to slow paced and the fun parts of the movie came way to late. But, if you were a fan of the first movie go ahead and check it out at the local video. 5 stars

The first "Gate" was no great shakes, but it managed to be an OK low-budget entertainment. This pointless sequel really misses the mark. Even its best qualities were better in the original; the young actors aren't bad, but none of them is as engaging and likable as Dorff was in the first movie, and the effects are decent but unimaginative and they show us nothing new. The film also shares the same flaws with the original; the incoherent script includes way too much metaphysical and mystical rubbish, and we never understand the mechanisms of the plot. Not exactly an unbearable film, but definitely a useless waste of time.

I recently watched The Gate 2: The Trespassers (1990) on YouTube. The storyline follows a new family that moves into the house from the first film. The son in the house is bullied and struggles with girls, so he opens the Gate hoping to be granted his every wish, but discovers his wishes come with a price. Can he and his new love interest find a way to close the Gate before hell is unleashed on Earth?

Directed by Tibor Takács (The Gate), the film stars Louis Tripp (The Gate), Simon Reynolds (Saw IV), Pamela Adlon (Grease 2), James Kidnie (Sea of Love), and Elva Mai Hoover (Superman II).

This sequel is a significant step down from the first film but still entertaining and worth a watch for fans of the original. The cinematography is mediocre, but the monsters are solid and entertaining to watch. There's a cool bathroom transformation scene, and while the conclusion isn't as good as the first film, it's still fun to watch unfold. The special effects depicting the other side of the Gate are interesting. The acting is good enough, with an 80s feel, and Pamela Adlon reminds me of a young Demi Moore. Additionally, there are some cool muscle cars (Corvette and Challenger).

In conclusion, The Gate 2: The Trespassers isn't as good as the first film but still has some charming, redeeming elements. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend it with the appropriate expectations.

I watched a whole hour of this movie before I realized there was nothing scary about it. It's just a teenage angst drama. It's kind of in the same style as the Exorcist 2.

The Gate II is a very underrated film (4.3 on here seems harsh). It's extremely well made (for a low budget horror picture). It's got some excellent acting and the characters are not so stupid that you hate them all immediately. It's beautifully shot with dark scenes that are actually discernible (not all films can boast this). It's got some excellent FX by Randy Cook and his team, and the ending made me chuckle to myself for a while afterwards. There's also a post credits joke at the very end that made me smile. I preferred this sequel to the original and I'm discerning when it comes to films. Well worth a watch - it's enjoyable horror pulp - and deserves more credit for not being a worthless piece of trash, which most people expect it to be.

I have watched the 1987 movie "The Gate" a couple of times, but I have actually never seen the 1990 sequel titled "Gate II: The Trespassers". In fact, I didn't know that there was a sequel, not before stumbling upon the movie while watching the first movie again.

The storyline in "Gate II: The Trespassers" was okay, but I have to say that I enjoyed the 1987 movie more than this 1990 sequel. Sure, it was watchable, but it was a tad too mundane actually. So writer Michael Nankin didn't really up the game from the first movie. The narrative was just too slow paced and bland.

The acting performances in the movie were fair, and it was nice to see actor Louis Tripp return to reprise his character from the first movie. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, but the actors and actresses put on fair performances.

Visually then you're in for the same type of effects as in the 1987 movie "The Gate", so there wasn't really much improvement here either.

My rating of director Tibor Takács's 1990 movie "Gate II: The Trespassers" lands on a four out of ten stars.