Worm Hunt Is On Again In ‘Tremors 2’

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the desert, the Graboids are back.

In “Tremors 2: Aftershocks,” the giant, subterranean, prehistoric worm creatures, dubbed Graboids, which stalked a small town almost seven years ago, crop up south of the border and wreak havoc with a Mexican oilfield.

Enter Fred Ward, reprising his role as Earl Bassett, the only survivor of the original attack NOT to make a fortune off his famous exploits with the killer creatures. Out of financial desperation, Earl reluctantly agrees to help wipe out the latest infestation … for a tidy sum.

He’s joined by would-be worm hunter Grady Hoover (Christopher Gartin), but the two quickly find out that these Graboids are trickier than they had anticipated.

A call for help brings gun-crazed survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross, also returning from the first outing) out of retirement and to the rescue. Backed with a rolling arsenal, the three men set out to eradicate the dirt devils once and for all.

But the Graboids have a few surprises in store, and our heroes soon find themselves in over their heads and fighting to survive.

As with the first film in the series, “Tremors 2” offers some amazing special effects. Peter Chesney of “Waterworld,” Phil Tippet of “Jurassic Park,” and Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis of “Jumanji” serve up some eye-popping sequences that easily outdo those of the first film.

Ward and Gross are both amusing, and Gartin makes a welcome addition, but the film still pales in comparison to the original romp’s unique sense of humor.

Kevin Bacon and Ward starred in the original “Tremors” as handymen thrust into hero roles when their tiny desert town is under siege by an army of underground man-eating monsters. Stand-out performances from Victor Wong, as the opportunistic store owner, and country music’s Reba McEntire and Gross, as a gung-ho husband-and-wife team with their own home arsenal, keep the mood light.

Boosted by some terrific creature effects, an almost believable premise and a quirky sense of humor, “Tremors” emerged as one of the year’s most entertaining sleepers.