“Stake Land II” (2016) can’t match the magic of the original, but it’s still good enough to recommend, I guess. I’d give it a 7 out of 10. (I’m told that an alternate title is “Stakelander,” but I refuse to call it that, because it sounds too much like a spoof of either “Zoolander” or “Highlander.”)
This sequel has a direct-to-video feel to it. Set a decade following the events of the original, the movie reunites Connor Paolo and Nick Damici, as the now-adult Martin and the enigmatic, vampire-killing powerhouse, “Mister.” Paolo feels flat this time out, the movie is occasionally slow, and the action sequences are a little underwhelming.
Still, Damici shines. And I couldn’t help but find myself engaged by the movie as a whole. Even if the film isn’t a classic, the brutal, unflinching “Stake Land” fictional universe is still front and center. The post-apocalyptic setting and character backstories are so dark and unpredictable that the film is still fun for a seasoned horror fan. It’s at least as interesting as an average episode of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 