Scott LeBrun Granted, as written and directed by Chuck Parello, it inevitably falls short when compared to a genuinely disturbing predecessor, but it works nevertheless. Lead actor Neil Giuntoli ("Child's Play", "The Shawshank Redemption") is no Michael Rooker - he can't match Rookers' level of intensity - but he does do alright in the role of glum loner Henry.His life at a real low point, Henry ends up taking a job in the port-a-potty business. He makes the acquaintance of married couple Kai (Rich Komenich) and Cricket (Kate Walsh of 'Grey's Anatomy'), and they offer to let him room with them for a while. Henry soon finds out about Kai's second job, as an arsonist for hire. Henry tags along with Kai on these arson gigs until they discover two squatters in a building. It's here that Henry is able to satisfy his need to kill, and from then on there's no turning back as he convinces Kai to turn killer. Their murders weigh heavy on Kai's conscience, but he's gotten in too deep.One good thing that can be said about this sequel is that it stays true to itself and its grim depictions of life. It follows a pretty predictable story line, working towards the kind of resolution that marked the original. As we can see, Henry just doesn't work that well with other people. Parello utilizes the same approach as John McNaughton in not judging his characters, but presenting their f'd up lives in a matter of fact way.The acting is solid from all concerned, and the film is generally well crafted, with some creepy moments and doses of grisly violence. It's about as good a sequel as the first "Henry" could have gotten.Eight out of 10.

Tromafreak Yeah, yeah, I know. Different director, and a different Henry, even. Not quite what I had in mind, either. Perhaps a bit insulting, if you're like me, and you think highly of Henry 1, that is, unless you're, once again, like me and have extremely low standards for Horror, and are used to that sort of inconvinence, because there sure is whole lot of it. So, as far as half-ass sequels with different directors, and an all together different feel goes, this one is actually pretty good. Good, but not awesome, at least not compared to the original, which. by the way, is a masterpiece, but let's try not to hold that against Chuck Parello's underdog of a sequel. Henry 2 picks up some time after the events of the original. Henry is broke, desperate, and completely out of his mind. Henry ends up with a job cleaning porta-potties, and soon gets friendly with a co-worker and his wife (Kai and Cricket), resulting in a place to crash for a few days. Polite at first, Henry makes himself right at home after discovering Kai's hobbie... firebug. Naturally, Henry wants to play, and soon Henry introduces Kai to his own games, quickly turning this regular joe firebug into a bloodthirsty killer. But as we all know, Henry is only capable of playing well with others for so long.I take it we weren't supposed to notice that the new Henry is about a foot shorter than Michael Rooker. In that case, forget I said anything. Henry 2 Mask Of Sanity is a much better stand-alone movie than one may think, and also has a lot going for it in the violence and terror department, despite being in the shadow of Henry one. for those who can really appreciate a quality sequel, Troll 2 is waiting. And as for Henry 2, this may sound strange, but this movie really is a worthy sequel. 7/10

sol (Some Spoilers) We at first see on the screen a montage of murders committed by Henry, Neil Giunatli,as he then viciously smashes in the head of a terrified woman, Peneople Milford, whom he kidnapped in the woods. This is just to show us in the audience that he's still out there and back in action after 10 years since the first "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Murderer" movie was released. Henry when we first see him in this sequel is anything but the effective killing machine that we saw back in 1986. Instead he's a homeless and shiftless drifter who spends most of his time in soup kitchens and flop houses where he has to put up with witnessing sick and inhuman indignities, like man on man rape, that would drive most people out of their skulls.Looking for a job Henry gets involved with this port-a-toilet company offering him $40.00 a day that he takes without hesitation since Henry must feel that this is about as good a job he'll get. Since besides being a serial murderer, which of course he keeps to himself, what other talents does he have to offer any employer. Working for his boss Rooter and his right-hand man Kai, Daniel Allar & Rich Komenich, Henry at first seems to have gotten away from his urge to murder. Since he's occupied working long hours draining out and hauling the smelly and disgusting waste products from the johns to the local waste treatment plant. One evening Henry learns that both Rooter & Kai are not all all that interested in what their supposed to be doing but using it as a front for their real job. A job that pays as much as $1,500, not the $40.00 that Henry has been getting, a day. Their professional torches or arsonists who are hired to burn down, and make it look like an accident, highly insured properties by the very persons who own them.Getting involve in torching private houses and wear-houses gives Henry the opportunity to get back to his murderous ways. This shocks his friend and fellow arsonist Kai who at first thought that Henry was a real stand-up guy who you can go out to the local bar and have a couple of beers with. With Henry getting so completely caught up with his homicidal tendencies, he mostly kills just to keep from getting bored, Kai's wife Cricket, Kate Welsh, wants him out of her and Kia's house where Henry is a non-paying tenant. The last straw with Cricket is when her what seems like semi-retarded niece Louisa, Carri Levenson, falls madly in love with the madman.Henry to his credit want's nothing to do with Lousia knowing that he's not her type but the star-struck young girl won't take no for an answer going so far as to threaten suicide if he doesn't marry her and take her away from both Kai & her aunt Cricket. During all this time Henry is slowly getting the somewhat alcoholic Kai involved in a string of brutal murders that has nothing at all to do with either the port-a-toilet or arson business but does quench Henry's thirst for blood and violence.Like the Frankenstein Monster Henry loses what little control he had of himself and uses what he learned from both Kai and Rooter for his own evil purposes. In the end Henry ends up murdering both of them and later together with Kia's murdered wife Cricket incinerates them. In the case of Kia, while he's still alive and breathing, in order to hide the evidence of his crimes.The relationship that Henry had with Lousia was about the only interesting thing in the film. Since it showed that he had at least some kind of human feelings in not wanting her to be stuck with him knowing that this brief sense of humanity, on Henry's part, may quickly evaporate and lead him to murder her, which for some strange reason he was very reluctant to do. It turned out that the very emotionally disturbed Lousia didn't have to have Henry do her in since she did a good job, by blowing her brains out, doing it herself.Nowhere as good as the original but still very shocking to watch in that Henry now has a new weapon, in becoming a skilled torch man or arsonist, in his vast arsenal of death and destruction. A weapon which he'll undoubtedly use in the future to continue his reign of terror on humanity. A weapon of death and destruction which he learned from his former employers and latest victims Kai & Rooter.

peej115 Henry 2 is one of those rare gems that are so bad that their good.I laughed out loud quite a lot in this film at some of the hammy acting.Anyone watching this that takes it seriously and compares it to the original really needs to chill.I have read a few uptight reviews on here really bashing it but i guess they dint take it with a pinch of salt.Henry 2 is the best comedy iv'e watched in a while,with killing too!I thought the guy who played him did a good job even though he was a 5 foot midget,his sidekick did OK as well.OK,its not Oscar winning acting by any means but it's just a good entertaining, popcorn movie.Don't listen to the haters,just put your tongue in cheek and enjoy the ride!