Rating: 
Summary: Handsome and polished sequel worth the wait
Review: Although Universal Pictures danced around Anthony Perkins a little claiming that Christopher Walken was interested in portraying Norman Bates in Psycho II, Perkins knew his time to play hard to get had come. Would they cast Psycho II without him? They wouldn't, and he knew it. As quickly as you can yell "Mother"! he was signed to reprise the role and the Bates Motel was back in business. And for the most part, the twenty-three year wait for the sequel wasn't for nothing.After twenty-two years of psychiatric treatment, Norman Bates has been judged restored to sanity and is released. Vera Miles, reprising her role from the original, makes her displeasure about this known. Meanwhile Norman moves back home and takes a day job in a diner while a sleazeball hired by the hospital (Dennis Franz) runs the motel. At the diner Norman meets a young waitress (Meg Tilly) whom he invites home after she has a falling out with a boyfriend. Shortly afterward things start to happen: Norman sees "Mother" up in the window again, he gets phone calls from "Mother," he hears "her" voice, and complicating things are a few murders that Norman thinks he might be responsible for. Is Norman slipping again or is someone persecuting him? Or is there someone else in the house? Psycho II received a generally positive reception and it has a professional look and fine cinematography, and director Franklin treats Hitchcock's material respectfully while adding some stylish touches of his own. Jerry Goldsmith's touching piano score is an ironic contrast to Bernard Herrman's frantic strings in the original film. Anthony Perkins is great in his role and comes across as a sympathetic character, more so than the original. It's interesting to note that in the original film the violence decreased as time went on, but here the violence increases throughout the film. But it's not nearly as bad as some of the early 80s slasher films. The premise for the movie is great and there is genuine suspense and scares, with plenty of mind tricks worthy of the original. The first half is pretty taut but then it starts to unravel in different directions, which is an unfortunate lapse. I don't think the ending is believable but it's certainly a surprise when you get there. Besides Perkins and Miles, Virginia Gregg also returned to lend her voice to "Mother." Released by Goodtimes Home Video on DVD in March 1999, this is as bare bones as it gets: Presented in full frame 1.33:1 with Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound, there are no extras to speak of. Hopefully Universal will put together a DVD edition that this movie is worthy of.
Rating: 
Summary: An amazing array of filmmaking and acting talent.
Review: When you think of film sequels, the first thing that usually comes to mind is BOMB. However, a sequel to a classic film would probably be ground not to cross. However, Richard Franklin trampled on this ground and created a wonderful sequel to one of the best films ever made, Psycho. Psycho II picks up 22 years after the original with Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) returning home from the mental institution. But is he really re-habilitated? Without giving too much information away, murders start to occur around him. But did he cause them? Norman becomes friends with local waitress Mary Samules (Meg Tilly). In actuality, she is the daughter of Lila Loomis (Vera Miles) the sister of the shower murder victim from the original. Loomis is very ticked off that Norman has been allowed to go home. She will stop at nothing to see him re-committed. Anyway, the film has many comical moments but has some very good suspense ones as well. The cinematography by Dean Cundey is amazing as well as the beautiful haunting Jerry Goldsmith score. The direction and production values are amazing all around and the acting is perfect. Anthony Perkins makes the film work as Norman Bates and even Meg Tilly is believable in a role that could have been difficult to cast. It is nice to see Vera Miles reprise her role. I think Psycho II is an excellent film and should be released on a Special Edition DVD from Universal. Goodtimes didn't do this disc justice. Psycho II---5 stars out of 5
Rating:
Summary: A gripping follow up
Review: A surprisingly good sequel has Norman Bates being released from "The Mad House" after 22 years away from his old dark house, the motel and Mother! Norman begins to like a girl. She stays over and...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Sequel 4.5 stars
Review: Smart, entertaining and creepy sequal to the masterpiece Pyscho. Stars anthony perkins in his returning role as Norman Bates. Very clever plot and really good acting. Norman is coming home after being declared sane nearly 22 years later but marion cranes sister isnt to happy about that so her and her daughter devise a plan/ wont say what it is cause i dont want to give story away but the movie is excellent and more murders happen. The ending is also clever. Meg Tilly is excellent as Lila loomis's daughter/ all the actors in the movie are good but she stands out and norman is excellent as always. Dvd also includes the shower scene from the original psycho. This is probably the best sequal to a horror film ive ever seen. First rate thriller. Highly recomended.
Rating:
Summary: After 22 years,Norman Bates is coming home!
Review: Takes place 22 years after the first one and it's a really great sequel.Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins)is re-habilitated and declaired sane,much to the dismay of Lila Loomis(Vera Miles),the sister of the shower scene victim in the first one.Norman goes back to live at the motel and the house on the hill where it all started.Lila and her daughter Mary(Meg Tilly)are trying too make Norman go crazy again,in a interesting way.Out of all the horror sequels in the world,this is the only one that lives up to the original one.If Hitchcock was alive today,I think he would have enjoyed this film alot.I loved the fact that Tony Perkins could get back into the skin of Norman Bates after 22 years and when you watch this movie,it was like he never left.Norman Bates is one of those horror movie charcters then you don't care if he's crazy or a killer,you just love them nomatter what.If I saw the original Pyscho back in 1960 and have to wait 22 years for the sequel,I'd say it was sure as hell worth the wait.22 years later,the Bates Motel is about to go back in business.
Rating: 
Summary: Psycho II
Review: I must admit I was most displeased with the movie Psycho II. It gives Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1960 film a very bad name. For one thing, at the end of the first film, the psychiatrist said that the mother side of Norman's brain was now dominant. In the sequel you wouldn't even think he ever had a problem. Also, there should not have been any nudity and very little blood. The makers of this film must not truly appreciate what Alfred Hitchcock was trying to do when he made the original Psycho over 40 years ago.
Rating:
Summary: You spent the night at the Bates Motel?
Review: This is a pretty bizarre sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO. Anthony Perkins is back and he is brilliant as Norman Bates. There are plenty of plot twists and turns and then some. It's not Hitchcock but it picks up the story over twenty years later and there is great continuity from the original. Production designer John W. Corso meticulously recreated the Bates Motel. Cinematographer Dean Cundey also does a great job in recreating the world of Norman Bates now in color. Besides Anthony Perkins there are other great performances in this movie. Vera Miles reprises her role as Lila Loomis sister to Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and now widow to Sam Loomis (John Gavin). Robert Loggia as Dr. Raymond, Bates' psychiatrist and Dennis Franz as Mister Toomey, the Bates Motel manager are both good. What was really interesting was Jerry Goldsmith's score. Instead of relying on musical cues from Bernard Herrmann's original score he concentrates on the character of Norman Bates and tries to find and explore the person within the body. Great Halloween stuff.
Rating:
Summary: An very good sequel to the horror classic.
Review: I brought this sequel on DVD not long ago. Am very surprise, this one of the best produced DVD from GoodTimes. It has great picture(Thought is not in a Widescreen Presentation) and sound(Excellent Dolby Surround). Director-Richard Franklin and Writer-Tom Holland(Fright Night) did very good job making this sequel work so well. It has Jerry Goldsmith suspenseful music score(Alien, The 13th Warrior) and Impressive Cinemagraphy by Dean Cundey(Halloween 1,2&3-Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park), also good actors like-Meg Tilly(The Big Chill), Robert Loggia(Innocent Blood) and Dennis Franz(City Of Angels, of course, he`s widely known for playing a cop in ABC`s NYPD Blue). The True Highlights of the film is Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Perkins in a excellent performance in the role, very different from the original Psycho. Director Franklin made this into one of the best sequel in the early eighties, some strong suspenseful scenes and good shocking ending. Grade:A-.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping follow up
Review: A surprisingly good sequel has Norman Bates being released from "The Mad House" after 22 years away from his old dark house, the motel and Mother! Norman begins to like a girl. She stays over and...
Rating:
Summary: Lives up to the lagecy
Review: "Psycho II" is not as good as the first, but it has so many things going for it, that I had to give it 5 stars. It starts out 23 years after Bates was arrested for the murders at his motel. He has been judged sane and relesed. Lila Crane is not happy. It was her sister Marian who was killed there all thpse years ago, and she wants blood. As soon as Norman returns to the motel, he starts seeing his mother and notes that she's leaving. At the diner that he works at, he meets a young woman who needs a place to stay, so he offers a room in his house, even though he knows he's starting to crack up again. Now, a few murders later, things start going bad from there. Anthony Perkins returns as Norman, and he is a little more subtle now, sympathetic, more a victom than a killer. Vera Miles also returns as Lila Crane, maybe as mad now with grief as Norman was back then. Meg Tilly plays the waitress who is a little more than she appears to be. Robert Loggia plays Dr. Raymond who is trying hard to keep Norman on the streight and narrow, he is alright. Of course the movie's violence is bloodier than the original. The mystery is good and complicated, with a twist at the end that is worthy of the original film.
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