After the success of 1975's “Black Magic”, Ho Meng Hua returns with a sequel “Black Magic 2” the following year. However, it has a completely new storyline although it stars virtually the same cast, who now play different characters. Moreover, Singapore is now the chosen tropical city it sets in, in place of Kuala Lumpur, but the basic plot is very much about the good versus the bad.
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Dr. Shi Zhen Sheng (Lin Wei Tu) works in a hospital in which patients suffer from strange, mysterious illness like worms under their skin and puss-filled sores that won't heal. He truly believes that they're under some kind of black magic spells but his friends Dr. Chi Zhong Ping (Ti Lung) and Dr. Cui Ling (Tanny Tien Ni) won't have any of that superstition because they're more interested in scientific outcome.
Anyhow, upon reading a book concerning a well-known local sorcerer Kang Cong (Lo Lieh), Dr. Shi has no doubt that Kang's definitely the one responsible for casting those horrible spells. Since Dr. Chi still doesn't believe in this voodoo stuff, they decide to use Dr. Cui as a guinea pig so the evil black magician can cast a love spell on her and Dr. Shi. Needless to say the spell works and soon they're having an affair to the dismay of Dr. Chi who has no choice but to confront Kang in his mansion full of zombies.
Again, screenwriter Ni Kuang, in an interesting twist, has created a new spin on the practice of the black magic by introducing some zombie elements into the mix. However, more focus is also put on Kang Cong, the practitioner of such deadly art. Wonderfully portrayed by Lo Lieh, he's a well-dressed urban man, both sleazy and suave who lives in a huge mansion with his favorite Siamese cat. At times, he looks like a villain from a James Bond film. Anyway, with each spell he casts, he loses five years of his life, but drinks breast milk daily which keeps him young and healthy.
Interestingly, during the beginning of “Black Magic 2” we see a crocodile devouring one of the topless village girls swimming in a dirty river, however, a wild white-haired local shaman (Yang Chih Ching) in turn catches and kills it. Obviously he's the good sorcerer who'll take on Kang but while he's helping a possessed Dr. Cui, Kang manages to slay him instead. However, he's able to pass on his magic abilities to Dr. Chi who then carries on the quest to face Kang.
All the actors play their parts adequately well. As a gentle housewife, Lily Li has that innocence look, but she's always in a trance due to the spell that Kang casts on her which renders her into a walking dead whose sole purpose is to supply him with her fresh breast milk daily. Tien Ni has to tone down her usual sexy and sleaziness this time around since she's now playing a sensible doctor. As always, Ti Lung looks dashing in dark shades and designer suits even under the hot and humid tropical sun.
The special effects here are a mixed bag; the crocodile attack features a wooden looking reptile but the topless girls offer a bit of distraction. However, there're plenty of real worms under the fake skin shots, plus the extensive use of time lapse cinematography of sores deteriorating and oozing with puss. But the highlight has to be the fight on top of a cable car with a back projection background which is both cheesy and charming nonetheless.
The use of the 70s style funky fuzz guitar soundtrack is a bonus and blends in wonderfully with the male characters in their flared trousers and neck ties. Some well-known tourist destinations of Singapore are put into good use and look great on the wide screen.
“Black Magic 2” shares the same shock value, outlandish moments and gross-out thrills of the first movie but with the welcoming addition of zombies and the way they are bred and controlled by a nine-inch nail hammer into the head no doubt. Overall, it's still a fun, entertaining watch, a better produced and improved production altogether than its predecessor, even with those laughable bad special effects.
