A teenage girl once possessed by a demon finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, a priest investigates the death of the girl's exorcist. Exorcist II: The Heretic suffers from what most horror sequels do which is a bad script and just the same old story all over again with things that make no sense and the whole Pazuzu thing bored me to death i mean seriously this film is really slow paced and for some reason actors such as James Earl Jones (Star Wars and Conan The Barbarian), Richard Burton and Louise Fletcher are in here for some reason which is probably the money. Overall Exorcist 2 is nowhere near as good as the first film or contains any of the horror that the original movie had plus the film is considered one of the worst sequels of all time and you can see why although nothing will ever beat "Nightmare on Elm Street 6" (3/10)

If "The Exorcist" is one of the best horror films ever, this sequel can be one of the worst. The story seeks to give logical continuity to the first film but ends up losing all logic. Linda Blair retakes the character who made her famous, but she's so stupid and shallow that we just do not recognize her. Next to her comes the veteran Richard Burton, in the role of an unconvincing Catholic priest. In fact, he was already drowned in alcoholism in the same way that Blair might no longer be unknown to drugs. There is no merit in the support cast, no use talking. The script should have been used as toilet paper before the movie was shot. Everything that could be stuck in the film ended up appearing, invariably ridiculous, forced and pitiful: from obvious allusions to the hippies (watch costumes, for example) to an absurd story involving an African tribe, not to mention that box with strobe lights which left the person hypnotized. To make the salad more complete only the aliens and medieval knights were lacking. Can we offer this film to Pazuzu, to see if he takes the movie away for good?

I have all the respect in the world for John Boorman--his 'Point Blank' and 'Deliverance' are excellent--but this sequel to one of the greatest horror movies ever made simply falls listless and flat. Of course, the script is extremely talky and lifeless--as if it had been 'exorcised' of all the wonder and shock that William Friedkin's vision of the battle of good vs. evil would entail. Yes, Sir Richard Burton was a great actor--yet when shoehorned with a crappy script and with his more irritating peccadilloes left unrestrained, he can be such a chore and bore to watch. Though I have not seen the two more recent 'prequels' for the 'Exorcist' franchise, I can safely say that while 'Exorcist II' is not the worst horror movie ever made (that, by the way, never seemed its intention), it's certainly the worst of the original trilogy--and by a country mile. This is a work that would probably bore the demons so much, they would decide to get out of Regan MacNeil's body, and perhaps even leave Earth's plane altogether, never even wanting a return ticket.

Probably one of the most despised sequels in movie history, this bizarrity is worth a look if you've been avoiding it. Although overlong and sometimes dull, there are plenty of memorable images in this film which stand out. The film ventures into art territory many times, making it hard to sit through for more conventional viewers, but there are also some creepy/disturbing scenes to savour. The fact that I didn't really get into it is more a flaw with myself than with the film, and with the right attention I'm sure there are things to be gained from this. I didn't like it very much though.The plot starts off typically, with Regan in therapy and the demon threatening to rear its ugly head again. A new priest gets involved in the case and hooks himself up in a mental link - via a machine called a synchroniser (you heard me right) - with Regan. From then on we're subjected to lots of scenes of natives singing and a recurring nightmare of a swarm of locusts descending out of the sky. The priest, Lamont, travels to Africa, but is shunned by the natives who stone him, believing him to be a devil-worshipping. He gradually becomes sucked in by the evil force which lies dominant and wills him to kill Regan. Finally, he fights back, and all hell breaks loose.The visual composition of the film is more important than the actual storyline here, and so characters come and go as time goes on. Max Von Sydow, from the first film, appears in flashback as Father Merrin, exorcising a young boy healer in Africa. Ned Beatty appears as a pilot with a gigantic cross on his back, while James Earl Jones has the duel role of a native dressed as a giant locust - a god perhaps - and a kindly doctor. Linda Blair returns to the role which propelled her into stardom, and she has by now nearly reached adulthood - as can be clearly seen. Blair is fine as the investigative, inquiring girl, but is really given a supporting role, as is the good Louise Fletcher. The film belongs to Richard Burton - an ageing, profusely sweating actor who goes on a moral crusade from A to B and back again as the doubtful priest who fights Pazuzu to prove himself. On the way there's lots of mumbo jumbo.Events pick up for an over-the-top climax, but by then we don't really care what happens anymore. There is some minor gore (hearts being torn out, spikes penetrating feet) but nothing comes close to the nauseating, sickening power of the original classic, although the scary demon makeup is used briefly a couple of times. If an effort is made to like this film, then I'm sure it will appear underrated, but it's an effort which I just simply wasn't willing to give - I felt both cheated and disappointed in this film, which was something I just wasn't expecting. Not bad; good on an artistic level... but as a horror film, it just doesn't work, as it's just TOO unconventional and, it has to be said, pretentious. Oh, there's a good score from Ennio Morricone which makes things a bit more bearable, on the plus side.