Talented director Yossi Wein gives this powerful second entry in the Octopus franchise verve and intelligence as he helms this production with imagination and vision. Octopus veteran Boaz Davidson contributed to the story of Octopus 2 and his trademark wit, sensitivity, and talent for penning powerful, deeply moving sequences is clearly seen in the remarkable results. A fine cast does some extraordinary work and there are some superb performances given by the stars. Michael Reilly Burke and Meredith Morton are particular standouts with Fredrick Lehne giving an absolutely inspired performance in the role of Walter. The atmosphere is appropriately dark and forbidding and the almost surrealistic environment almost unendurable. The suspense could be cut with a knife as this horrific creature stalks the population of New York and terrorizes the harbor. The closing sequences may be some of the most emotionally draining and deeply moving ever committed to celluloid. With tremendous thrills, deep emotions, and overwhelming power, there is no denying the haunting horror and heartfelt emotion that is Octopus 2: River of Fear.

A giant octopus takes up home in the New York City East River. It immediately starts killing people. A Harbour Patrol cop then has serious trouble convincing his superiors that there is a giant killer mollusk living nearby.The storyline for Octopus II is yet another that uses the clichéd Jaws (1975) template plot. Giant sea creature kills locals, a policeman knows it's out there but his superiors don't believe him, while politicians think it'll get in the way of their own plans. But let's not get carried away. This movie is seriously far removed from the quality of that Spielberg classic. However, what can be said in its favour is that it is at the very least better than the original film which focused on a boring action-thriller plot on a submarine. The octopus was hardly in it. This movie at least brings the creature more into proceedings – there's even some decent physical effects at times too – and the NYC harbour setting is much better too. There's no actual connection between the films beyond a giant octopus and this one doesn't even bother to come up with an excuse for the gigantic size of the title creature. Although, frankly, this hardly matters.Unfortunately, it's still pretty far from a decent movie. It does begin reasonably well, including an agreeably nuts dream sequence with the monster climbing the statue of liberty. But sadly it can't maintain its relative promise – these types of films seldom do – and gets badly bogged down with a disaster movie final third where a bus of school kids get trapped in a underwater tunnel. It gets kinda boring to be honest, and these movies should really know better by now that the focus should really be on the monster. As far as acting, effects and originality are concerned, it's strictly as limited on all fronts as you would expect. So, all-in-all not good, but better than the original.

Just finished watching this one after getting sick of getting ready for the Michigan Bar Exam. I wanted something that was mindless and that I could just sit back and say, "what the hell were they thinking?" I was not disappointed in this undertaking, but had I been watching this one in a serious mood, I would have been irate. The company that made this thing just spliced CGI footage from the first Octopus and added a little footage with a fake octopus that makes the one used in "Bride of the Monster" look like a masterpiece of special effect footage. Since when does an octopus have fangs? The plot is that an NYPD diver is investigating some murders/disappearances on the Hudson River shortly before the Fourth of July. He and his partner (who is soon to be transferred, or soon to be munched on by a fig bucking octopus) investigate in a rather inept manner (all the while believing that a huge octopus will kill people) and are occasionally accompanied by a female lackey from the Mayor's office. Of course on one believes that an octopus can get that big until the thing attacks the cop and the girl from the mayor's office. Surprisingly, all hell doesn't break loose and only a few cops and a few more civilians are killed.Really lame. Don't bother with it.

Since I am required to write minimum of 10 lines, and this garbage deserves not only a single one, I'll start with the following: 1. I voted AWFUL for this dreadful so called "movie".2. Let me explain why these turkeys Mr. David Varod produces are shot mainly in my beautiful homeland, Bulgaria (just in BTW, for the illiterate people around - this country is IN EUROPE, based north to Greece and has absolutely nothing to do with Mexico and Uruguay) Some years ago, NU Image has invaded our country and started making crappy mostly direct-to-video releases. Why here? Because here they pay derisively low fees to the Bulgarian crew and to the Bulgarian actors (most of them distinguished ones) which are, in many ways, better than most of their American colleagues. Personally I am ashamed of that fact. The reason is, of course, the greediness of the Americans involved and their wish to get most, if not all of the profit. Actually it would't be so bad if only the production wasn't so filthy and pale. There hasn't been a good picture shot here for years. At present NU image is being sued here over the very questionably purchasing of our national cinema production centre called Boyana Films. No doubt about it there has been corruption, there has been deceit, there has been a lies in this recent purchase. The Bulgarian cinema is dead. Long live the Bulgarian cinema!