There’s a lot of old tricks here, but with the space in between films “Don’t Breathe II” is as fresh as ever and could succeeds as a standalone production.
No prior knowledge of “Don’t Breathe” is needed to enjoy this feature, but for those who have seen this film’s other half, the various nods to the old hat (such as the infamous dog chase scene) are more than rewarding.
It’s grisly violence all over again, but more than that, as the blind vet portrayed by Stephen Lang is pushed to his limit! Within the first half of the film this man loses his daughter, dog, friend, house … No good deed goes unpunished in “Don’t Breathe II”, but the social commentary arisen from the film poses the question of just how good a Samaritan can be in contrast to the shadow that haunts him?
Other questions get thrown into the fray such as who has the right to rear/raise children, and as a product myself of child protective services – is a shelter truly a shelter? And speaking of Shelter’s, I do not know if the legendary Hip-Hop venue is still standing but the Chocolate City that housed it in Detroit gets much needed screen time as opposed to Hollywood hotspots like Quebec or Atlanta.
If only the stereotypes of demolished houses and exploding portable meth labs could have been left out of the picture, but then again, these are integral pieces to the story – no matter how stereotypical they are, they serve to make Don’t Breathe II even more realistic as the film refuses to shy away from topics of betrayal, shame, and the tough decision of figuring out where one truly belongs. When the sentiment is put aside, the audience is left with a revenge flick featuring a retired soldier who’s war never ended after he completed his tour.The realistic armed-forces trained violence is up there with franchises such as “Rambo” & “John Wick”, but is able to stand apart and be enjoyed as it’s own thing.
And if you thought you had family issues, just wait until you see the devious acts committed within this film all in the name of blood and where the heart lies.
And that once more is the beauty delivered within this franchise yet again – though the actions of every character can be judged and begged to be reprimanded, the audience cant wholeheartedly pull the trigger because of the way that each character is written : desperate for survival. Such is the human condition, once more masterfully depicted in a film carrying the title : “Don’t Breathe”.
Score: 4/5
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