'Dr. Phibes Rises Again' review

'Dr. Phibes Rises Again' - 1972

Story in Brief: The moon and planets slide into a specific configuration bringing Dr. Phibes back! Time is of the essence as the planets will soon reach another pattern, one that will unlock ancient secrets hidden away in Egypt. If found these secrets will lead to renewed life for Phibes' beloved wife Victoria as well as eternal life for Phibes. There are those who are in Phibes' way. Unfortunately for them, Phibes has already proved himself willing to kill for his wife and will not hesitate to do so again...

Thoughts:

Sequels almost never live up to the original. Chances are you can count on your fingers the number of sequels you enjoyed. That's not really a problem with 'Dr. Phibes Rises Again'. The original is a grand film and the sequel manages to be more of the same whilst being totally different.
Phibes' character is the same, as well it should be. His main focus in life remains his wife Victoria. Everything he does is related to his wife in one way or another. The only difference I could pick out is that Price is allowed (or was called to, I've no clue who's idea it was really) to be a bit more amusing, a bit more like the image of a Vincent Price character. While I like Vincent Price and the 'image' people seem to have of him being a big ham (I rarely see it happen to the detriment of the movie or character he's playing) I am glad to see that this change is minimal. Phibes is still Phibes. There are a few moments, especially early in the film, when he seems to be speaking without using the special voice apparatus he made to recreate his voice. It is possible that these are meant to be mental musings, but he tends to gesture as if speaking. It's also possible that these moments were originally meant to be silent and dialogue was later dubbed over rather than have more narration. These moments are a bit distracting, but they do disappear as the movie plays out and the memory of them fade as the movie grabs your interest.
The main variation between this film and the original is the motivation for the killings that we see, despite the fact that in both movies Phibes kills for his wife. In the original Phibes kills those he feels are responsible for his wife's death. He seeks, and gets, revenge. In this movie he kills those that are in his way. There is nothing personal to these killings. If the people in his way had simply gone away at the first death, he would have gladly left them alone. In the original, had a target hid, he would, and did, track them down. While it seems like a minor point, afterall people die in both movies, it does change the theme of the movie. In the original, he can be pitied, but he is definitely the villain. In the sequel, he's more of an anti-hero. His intent is noble and it becomes easier to support his goals, despite the fact that most who oppose him do so unintentionally. It's an interesting, if subtle, shift.
The change of location helps make the movie feel different as well. Once the characters start reaching Egypt, the movie starts to feel a bit like an action/adventure film that just happens to have a relatively high number of deaths. There's a hidden tomb, secret chambers and ancient texts that point to the powers of long forgotten gods.
Phibes also has a more specific enemy in this film. While the police chase him in both films (simultaneously serious and used as comic relief) they never seem to be his primary foil. While in the original film the head surgeon can be seen as his primary opponent, this fact is only due to the fact that this surgeon happened to work on his wife. In this film, Biederbeck is Phibes' opponent because they both quest after the same river of life. They butt heads because of this goal, not because of chance. While they share very little screen time together, their actions continually affects the other. They play a game between them and winning brings them quite a prize.

This movie is part of the 'MGM Midnite Movies' series and SRP is $14.95 but can be found for $9.95. Like the original, the movie is presented in 16 by 9 enhanced widescreen. The image is good, but it is also a dirtier looking copy than the original which was nearly crystal clear. While never getting awful, it is a little distracting at times. The sound remains solid unspectacular mono. There are a couple alternate language tracks and a trailer as the only extras. Like the first, I suggest not watching the trailer until after you've seen the film as it gives too much away.

There is talk that at one point a third Phibes movie was planned but never made. While I'm sure I'd enjoy another movie with this character, I'm also pleased with the way it ends the series. It allows you to believe what you want about what happens next.

Again, highly recommended.

(Please note that I wrote this review some years ago already and the pricing information may possibly no longer be accurate. Beyond that, I still agree with the review.)