If you're reading this review, chances are you've already seen & liked the first Prophecy and are debating whether to continue the saga. Either that, or maybe you're just a weird person who likes to watch sequels before seeing the original. Whatever waxes yer wings...
In either case, if you are interested in dark, religious thrillers about angels doing nasty things, you MUST see the Prophecy trilogy. Yes, I know there are 5 Prophecy films, but we'll just focus on the first 3 for now.
Much like Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi, the first 3 Prophecy movies tell a continuing story about 1 character: Gabriel, the Archangel of Death (played by Christopher Walken). Although the films' plots are mostly independent of each other, the theme of Gabriel's quest is a continuing story that doesn't wrap up til the end of the 3rd movie. Ergo you can't stop at Prophecy 1. You have to watch all 3.
That's all you need to know, but if you want to know more about Prophecy II, here it is. By itself it's a worthwhile flick. What makes it special is the surreal blending of dark suspense and cozy humor, as in the first Prophecy. Although we lose some of the quirky characters who made the first film so memorable (such as Jerry the oozing sidekick, Rachel the catatonic chauffeur, and most of Joseph the stand-up comedic coroner), we get a new one who's just as memorable: Brittany Murphy as Izzy the suicidal emo girl (long before the term 'emo' came into being).
Walken and Murphy maintain the wacky humor that made the first Prophecy so characteristic & human. The other characters are there for action and furthering the plot, which is pretty straightforward as far as angels-fighting-a-war-on-earth movies go.
The music isn't quite as lush as the first, although one of the themesongs (the airy tribal piece) is carried over. Most, if not all, of the movie takes place at night so it is both literally and figuratively dark. Not quite "The Crow" dark, but dark nonetheless.
This movie has a distinct early-90s feel to it. The 90s was a decade of action films leaving behind the simple, clean stories of the 80s and embracing a darker realism (as in "Seven" and "The Usual Suspects"). I'd say this 2nd Prophecy film is closer to the 80s than its groundbreaking predecessor, but it's still a good film.
Watch it for Walken, watch it for the continuing epic story, watch it for some engaging action and a few great gags. Most of all... just watch it.
