No matter how brilliant and stunning the screenplay would have been, this sequel to `Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer' was doomed to automatically lose 99% percent of its power. Why? Because Michael Rooker didn't reprise his role of the relentless serial killer. The way he gave image to Henry made clear that no one could ever equal him. Actually, when I first saw `Portrait of Serial Killer' (at much younger age than generally recommended) and not knowing who Rooker was, I really was convinced he was a real madman! Neil Giuntoli was the rather unknown actor given the thankless task to play the `new' Henry Lee Lucas. And he obviously tries his best. In fact, he tries a little too hard! Throughout the entire movie, it seems like he's trying to be Michael Rooker instead of Henry Lee Lucas. `Mask of Sanity' lacks the rawness of the original. The original was a brutal, stone-cold documentary completely lacking humanity. This sequel is `friendlier' and basically easier to get into. Henry is still at large after his initial killing spree and homeless. He accepts a job as a toilet cleaner and goes to life with one of his colleagues. Henry fools around with a suicidal teenager (she looks like a younger version of Jennifer Love Hewitt with binoculars attached to her head) and deserves a little extra money as an arsonist. Soon, his appetite for murder rises again and he finds a new partner in the man he lives with. Mask of Sanity is a rather redundant sequel without any mentionable aspects. The acting is okay while the tension level is rather weak. The disturbance-elements featuring in the original have entirely vanished, and that was exactly what made the original immortal. The ending is left open for another sequel, although I hope that'll never come.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is one of the most disturbing serial killer flicks of all time, but seemed to me to be an unlikely candidate for the sequel treatment: despite receiving praise from serious horror fans, the original film's grim subject matter and unflinching approach to cold-blooded murder was hardly blockbuster material, meaning no-one was ever going to get rich or famous by making a follow up.

But what surprises me even more than the fact that a sequel was actually made, is that this film, a virtual rehash of the original bereft of both the first film's star, Michael Rooker, and its director, John McNaughton, actually turns out to be much better than I had expected: it is suitably repugnant, sleazy, violent and shocking, and even though it never quite matches the power of McNaughton's classic, it's an effective little serial killer flick that refuses to pull its punches and certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored.

In Mask of Sanity, Neil Giuntoli replaces Rooker in the central role of Henry, a seemingly mild but psychotic drifter who leaves a trail of death wherever he goes. Penniless and homeless, Henry finds himself a job servicing porta-loos, where he makes friends with workmate Kai (Rich Komenich) who invites Henry to stay with his family, sexy wife Cricket (Kate Walsh) and geeky niece Louisa (Carri Levinson),until he can find more permanent lodgings.

When Henry discovers that Kai has been setting fire to warehouses for a little extra cash, his newfound pal cuts him in on the deal; in return, Henry shows Kai how he keeps busy in his spare time: by murdering people!

Writer/director Chuck Parello does a pretty good job at emulating McNaughton's style, taking time to build his characters and develop their relationships whilst also presenting scenes of extreme violence in a cold, matter of fact style. At first Neil Giuntoli is hard to accept as Henry, being less physically imposing than Rooker (thanks to his rather short stature),but once he has done away with a few innocent people in brutal and bloody fashion, there is no doubt that he was a good choice for the part. If you're not even a little bit frightened of Giuntoli's Henry after he casually hacks off one poor victim's head with a knife, you're made of tougher stuff than me!

Admittedly, Mask of Sanity rarely strays from the formula set by the first film, even going so far as to start with a montage of Henry's earlier victims and end with a nihilistic finalé that sees the killer lay waste to virtually everyone he knows before once again moving on; but even though the format is familiar, this unlikely sequel is definitely more hit than miss.

Granted, as written and directed by Chuck Parello, it inevitably falls short when compared to a genuinely disturbing predecessor, but it works nevertheless. Lead actor Neil Giuntoli ("Child's Play", "The Shawshank Redemption") is no Michael Rooker - he can't match Rookers' level of intensity - but he does do alright in the role of glum loner Henry.

His life at a real low point, Henry ends up taking a job in the port-a-potty business. He makes the acquaintance of married couple Kai (Rich Komenich) and Cricket (Kate Walsh of 'Grey's Anatomy'),and they offer to let him room with them for a while. Henry soon finds out about Kai's second job, as an arsonist for hire. Henry tags along with Kai on these arson gigs until they discover two squatters in a building. It's here that Henry is able to satisfy his need to kill, and from then on there's no turning back as he convinces Kai to turn killer. Their murders weigh heavy on Kai's conscience, but he's gotten in too deep.

One good thing that can be said about this sequel is that it stays true to itself and its grim depictions of life. It follows a pretty predictable story line, working towards the kind of resolution that marked the original. As we can see, Henry just doesn't work that well with other people. Parello utilizes the same approach as John McNaughton in not judging his characters, but presenting their f'd up lives in a matter of fact way.

The acting is solid from all concerned, and the film is generally well crafted, with some creepy moments and doses of grisly violence. It's about as good a sequel as the first "Henry" could have gotten.

Eight out of 10.