Rises Again starts off with a recap of the events from the first movie, then Phibes rises from the tomb thanks to a preordained conjunction of the planets After a few imaginative deaths the action then moves to Egypt (actually filmed in Spain). This does provide an interesting backdrop, though quite how Phibes had access to ancient sites and the ability to convert them is best left to the imagination! Vincent Price is great as ever, and Peter Cushing, Beryl Reid and Terry Thomas all turn up in small roles. Robert Quarry, fresh off playing Count Yorga, makes for a decent adversary, and the comical cops from the original are back on the case. As are the Clockwork Wizards! Rises is an enjoyable, fun horror movies.As in the first there are imaginative deaths, but I felt that the original was by far the superior movie. Apparently there was talk of more sequels, perhaps it was best that they just left it at this.

The musical master of the macabre is back from the dead, and boy, is he loving it! After entering stage one of the underworld in the first of two films, Dr. Philbes loaded himself up with formaldehyde and went off into a deep sleep, prepared to be woken up by his silent assistant and head off to the next part of his big adventure. In the process, more people have violent and painful deaths, all the more head-turning and difficult to watch than the very first one. While death may not exactly happen on the Nile, it is near the land of the Pharaohs, and if you think Joan Collins had a nervous breakdown when she found herself being enclosed in that 1955 camp epic, wait until you see what happens to modern intruders on Philbes' efforts to find life eternal here.

A rather rough looking Mr. Clean wanna-be gets amusement by computerized snakes which interrupt him playing pool. But of course, one of them is real. Yet, this isn't enough to stop the macho muscle man from cutting out the venom, but there's another surprise in store. Hugh Griffith, who had a cameo in the first film as a rabbi, comes across Philbes' musical dummies on the Egyptian bound cruiser, and literally ends up meeting the bottle in one of the funnier (if still macabre) moments, taking the phrase "stuff it!" to extremes. Another one of the explorers intruding in on Philbes' plans ends up with a truly painful demise involving a key he desperately needs in the middle of the most gruesome form of living animals. I had to turn my head throughout this entire sequence but even with that was laughing, half in disgust, half at myself for being such a coward in not being able to watch it. Another goes down "Days of Our Lives" territory where he finds the danger of the sands through the hour glass. Cameos from Peter Cushing, Terry-Thomas (playing a different character who doesn't meet a grizzly end) and Beryl Reid seem pointless.

As an artistic looking horror film with much art deco, a wonderful period feel and some brilliant comedy, this succeeds. But as a film and especially as a sequel, it truly feels unnecessary, since the previous movie had wrapped everything up neatly and didn't warrant continuation. There's also a major blunder concerning the silent character of Vulnavia, Philbes' obvious mistress, who was brutally covered in acid at the end of the first film. The recast of the role is supposed to make you assume that the character had some sort of plastic surgery, but certainly, Dr. Philbes' accomplice, even with medical attention needed, would have been incarcerated for life after all the hideous things she helped him accomplish in the first film. The film is obviously a matter of taste, and while the squeamish not need bother, neither should those who look for consistency and pretty much demand that even the worst of horrific films like this have a point. The first one did; The only point this one had for me was the fast-forward button on the remote control.

This movie is so similar to the original that I sometimes have trouble remembering which crazy diabolical way of murdering his enemies occurred in which movie. Dr. Phibes returns (even though we DISTINCTLY saw him kill himself in the last movie!) and this time he is a little less focused on revenge and devotes most of his energy to resurrecting his long dead wife. However, have no fear, this does NOT mean he won't be killing many people in the process of restoring her! Yep, once again he comes up with many wacky and twisted ways to kill. So, in essence, if you loved the first movie you'll be happy but if you hated it, it doesn't get any better! I liked both and admit they are a guilty pleasure---they are SO cheesy and silly but I really liked the movies a lot!

UPDATE: I just saw this movie again tonight just after seeing the first Phibes film. I sure had a different reaction this time. While Phibes' murders were once again quite interesting, the film had two major ways that made it very inferior to the original. In the first film, whether right or wrong, Phibes felt he had a legitimate reason to kill. Here in "Dr. Phibes Rises Again" he clearly kills completely innocent people and is much more of a jerk. Also, the plot is not nearly as coherent as the first film and seems like it could have used some re-writing. Still worth seeing but clearly not up to the standards of the first.