At some point, you gotta name this race of knockoff gorgons, right? They look a little like what you might get if you asked a ten-year-old to draw the monster from “Stranger Things” from memory. I suppose it doesn’t really matter what you call them — they’re freaking deadly; they’ll kill you before you even get two syllables out. If you think about it, they kill indiscriminately, leave behind a trail of bodies with neither excuse nor explanation, and attack at even the slightest provocation – in the US, we call that the NRA.
Seriously, though, has anybody considered that these dudes might all just have a splitting earache? It’s like a whole slew of otitis-stricken aliens came to Earth for some quiet time and damn if the creatures of Earth can’t shut up.
Speaking of library manners, A Quiet Place Part II finally came out this Memorial Day, only a year behind schedule. Was it worth the wait? Yes, if by that you’re asking if it’s good. No, if you’re asking what I had to watch while waiting for a decent 
film. Quiet Place II is one of those films that hooks you and never really lets you relax, just the way a great thriller ought to be.
Being that the original was kinda light on backstory, and killed off writer/director/alien wrangler John Krasinski to boot, this iteration starts us on Day I of the alien invasion when we discovered the aliens came out of the sky to show they have no tolerance for little league, bus fare, or ringtones.
Following an afternoon of alien fun, the plot jumps to Day 424. Life sucks. Food, fuel, energy is low. The neighbors are dead. Anyone who can make a noise doesn’t. Birds still sing. I find it surprising aliens don’t hate birds. Perhaps they just can’t catch them. Lee Abbott (Krasinski) died last film. Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) has got to pace two teens (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) through survival. Oh, and they all have a BABY.
Dunno if you know this or not, but babies tend to make noise; exactly the kind of noise that attracts the homicidal race of earache monsters. The best defense is placing the baby in a basket and leaving it strapped to an oxygen tank. It quiets the baby, but it can’t possibly be a long-term solution. Lacking for life-prolonging solutions, the desperate foursome head to a working smokestack in the hills. Is there a community there, or just Cillian Murphy and 
a beartrap?
A Quiet Place Part II was a classic nail-biter. I’m not sure we learned anything new about the creatures and survival, but in a sense, we really didn’t need to. The monsters have taken over the planet. They’re fast as race cars and lethal within seconds. And they HATE human noise. What more do you need to know? This movie is not only tense, it was also fairly clever. At one point in the film, the split up foursome all face potentially fatal circumstances from three different enemies simultaneously. As a viewer, I was riveted with each scene, desperate to know how the current dilemma with sis was going to resolve yet also needing to know how mom was doing on the train tracks and how bro was doing in another part of their world. I can’t say I like this one better than the original, but it’s close. Anyone who appreciates a thriller should love A Quiet Place Part II.
Nasty aliens come to Earth for some kicks
But our sounds penetrate their physics
Hate to tell ya, boyz
If you don’t like big noise
You should really stay away from action flicks
Rated PG-13, 97 Minutes
Director: John Krasinski
Writer: John Krasinski
Genre: Our screwed future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Thriller fans
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People unprepared to evaluate their survival skills
