# Rage: Carrie 2, The (1999)

### reviewed by
DeWyNGaLe

THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 by DeWyNGaLe Rating: A-

Around twenty-two years ago, a movie starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and Amy Irving was released about a girl with telekinesis that was driven to the edge, called Carrie. It was nominated for a couple of Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and Sissy Spacek won the National Society of Film Critic's Award for Best Actress. Twenty two years later, a sequel to the classic has been made. I found myself asking the question before the movie, "Isn't it too late for a sequel?" After seeing such a great movie, I don't think it was.

Emily Bergl shines as Rachel, the sister of Carrie. Rachel has telekinesis, just like her sister did. She does not want to admit to it, she just covers it up by saying objects fell because she bumped them off the table or another excuse. When Rachel was a little girl, her mom was admitted to an institution for the insane. She had to witness her mom get taken away, and some very strange events things, such as windows opening and shutting violently occurred when she was mad. She was forced to go to a foster home after her mom left, because she did not have a dad at the time. Growing up, Rachel has had to deal with all the weird things that go in with her telekinesis.

Rachel has many problems at school. She isn't popular, or with the in-crowd, and she doesn't have many friends. Many people make fun of her, and don't bother to talk to her or be near her. Her best friend is Lisa, played by Mena Suvari. They seem to be the two outcasts of the school. Rachel is made fun of a lot by the popular people.

After Lisa commits suicide, Rachel becomes very angered. Lockers and doors shut instantly when Rachel sees the sight of her dead best friend. No one knows why this happened, but it was due to Rachel's telekinesis. Having to cope with the loss, Rachel sees Sue Snell, played by Amy Irving, the guidance counselor, who reprises her role as Sue from the first Carrie film. Sue confirms that Rachel has telekinesis, and she also confirms that she is Carrie White's sister.

Rachel's breaking point in the film is at a party at Mark's, played by Dylan Bruno, who is one of the popular people. Mark is involved in a setup to pull Rachel away from Jesse, another popular boy, played by Jason London, that all the popular kids are in. They all act like they like Rachel, and Rachel finally feels like she fits in. At the party though, she discovers the truth and beings very enraged, and as a result, some very suspenseful and eerie scenes follow. Rachel uses her telekinesis to get back at the kids who are making fun of her the best that she can.

The Rage is somewhat predictable, but it is still fun to watch. There are a few suspenseful scenes, and also a few very frightening and disturbing images. The sound adds to the creepiness of the film, with loud effects at the right time to make you jump out of your seat. The house at which Mark's party took place in was a little extreme, but it was still a fun place to have a rage.

In comparison to other recent horror films, The Rage is better by far. When viewing trailers for The Rage, I was expecting another teenager movie that would have a lot of blood and gore and barely any plot, but I was wrong. It completely surprised me. The Rage and In Dreams both had a similar feel to them, but I think that In Dreams was a little more clever, but certainly not as fun. I am glad to see this form of horror taking place more, rather than the slasher plot line for movies.

The Rage: Carrie 2 is Emily Bergl's first film, and it certainly is a great one for her. She is very believable. She handles the scenes where telekinesis is kicking in very realistically and well. The character of Rachel is developed very deeply, and it is almost like we have known this character for a long time. We are given background on her, which is usually something film's don't give anymore. Amy Irving was also great as Sue Snell. It was very neat to see someone from the original Carrie return for the sequel. The acting from the popular crowd, which included Rachel Blanchard, Zachery Ty Bryan, Charlotte Lopez, and others, all did very nicely, and were all very mean characters. Although they weren't developed, they added to the film.

The Bottom Line: Although the larger are "all going to laugh at this", this smaller critic didn't.

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