Sling Blade II: The Reckoning

• Directed by James Cameron
• May 16, 1999 (Los Angeles) / May 19, 1999 (US)

When the Earth is threatened by an unstoppable alien force, only Karl Childers can save us.

Studios see a successful film and often try to figure out how to continue profiting from it. Sometimes they wisely abandon those plans and then there are others where they decide to give those plans the good old college try. In that spirit we have Sling Blade II: The Reckoning which brings back Billy Bob Thornton’s character of Karl Childers in a film that is largely connected to the original in name only.

This production had ‘disaster’ written all over it from the start. B-Movie legend Albert Pyun was originally slated to direct in an effort to be more mainstream but when James Cameron expressed an interest in directing it after a weekend coke binge producers Shandor/Clortho Productions (who had purchased the rights from Miramax) dumped him in favor of Cameron and massively pumped up the budget. Pyun to his credit had guided a much more grounded script that touched on man’s place in the universe. Cameron with a few million more converted it and bastardized it into, well, whatever THIS is.

While the FF films would successfully change direction a few years later going from street racing to superspy, the attempt at a Sling Blade franchise by changing tone/direction is so abrupt and jarring that audiences clearly could not handle it. Given the first film I’m not sure how they thought audiences would take to turning Sling Blade into an epic science-fiction film. They were going for some Frankenstein cross between Star Wars and Independence Day with a touch of space horror. I have no idea how they thought that could work on a mass market level.

Billy Bob Thorton wisely chose not to return and instead his part was taken over by comedian Pat Kilbane best known for his time on the fox series MADtv. He does a very good job of slipping into the role to the point you have trouble telling the difference between the two. His performance is serviceable but not great.

Waving a big check in the hopes of hiring someone with name recognition, Cameron got Jennifer Anniston for the part Princess Arelia who is the leader of the peaceful Solons and Karl’s eventual love interest. Her people have been fighting a losing conflict reminiscent of the flood from the Halo games. Much like the Flood these creatures show up, breed, and kill.

Karl is not what you would think of as lead character material for an action film. And that sex scene between Princess Arelia and Karl is just weird especially with that look on his face the whole time. The sex scene alone was just excessive and far too graphic. Props to Aniston for wanting to engage in something she was not known for in an attempt to change her image, but that’s not always wise. And if you can’t figure out that she’s going to get pregnant and her general fate left in limbo so they can make a sequel then I don’t know what to tell you.

The individual creatures referred to as the Death Horde don’t demonstrate any noticeable intelligence during the course of the film. Dialogue from some Solon scientists in a scene forced in to explain why what amounted to wild animals can planet hop offers the implication based on where they infest and how they infest that they are guided by intelligence though it seems kind of stupid to just expend a great deal of resources to overwhelm your enemy.

Karl is wrapped up in this when the Sorceress Centriole the Wise (Dame Judi Dench in a horribly miscast role) directs the Solons to Earth. They talk to the US government but rather than ask an organized military for help they ask the semiretired Gen. Mills (Phil LaMarr) to help track him down. Apparently while institutionalized (and off camera) he was part of Stargate Project (a real thing) Mills can convince him to help based on a psychic experience they once shared.

Quentin Tarantino has praised this as a unintentionally silly Cult Classic. And I can certainly see that. They were trying for something that would have mass market appeal on some level but it never quite gets there. The unintentional cheesiness of the special effects and the recycling of props from other movies like a barely re-dressed alien from the Alien series for the Death Horde creatures gives Sling Blade II: The Reckoning a goofy yet charming feel. That’s coupled with bad dialogue, awkward pacing, and questionable scenes and performances to match. They try their best to do something different and not simply a rehash of the first film.

James Cameron does a good job of doing brainless action I dare say. This is heavy on practical effects. I’m just trying to figure out where $160 million went. Certainly not to the script nor to the sets. Was Pat Kilbane really worth a good chunk of that $160 million? Aniston? John Ritter? I have no idea.

Sling Blade II: The Reckoning is a bad idea. Poor acting and a lack of returning stars makes this a movie you should not see. Not that you could. This is inspired by a skit from MADtv.