Like its predecessor, "Candyman," "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" is a serious-toned horror film that dresses up a typical slasher story with interestingly gruesome imagery and mythology. Moving the action to New Orleans from Chicago, the sequel sheds the original film's psychological thriller pretensions to focus on Candyman's infamous backstory.
The story begins and ends compellingly but sags in the middle. Focusing on a woman whose family is connected to the hooked-handed killer, this premise gives way to a narrative that limply forgets its purpose until the real history of Candyman kicks in toward film's end. On its way there, the plot supplies a few jolts but little memorable horror.
Bill Condon's film is solidly put together and exudes an aura of melancholy and menace. Some dubious performances undercut the sturdiness of the film, but, aside from those and the frayed narrative, "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" makes for a watchable, though limited, genre outing.