Even though Gary Brandner, author of The Howling novels, co-wrote the screenplay to this movie, it has nothing to do with his 1979 novel The Howling II, much less the original The Howling. It tries, but this movie is just too weird to fully close the loop.

There's never been another werewolf movie like this one. Whether that is positive or negative all depends on how much you like werewolves having sex.

Ben White (Reb Brown, who is in a little movie called Yor Hunter from the Future that I could tell you about for many days) is dealing with the death of his sister Karen White, who just so happens to be the heroine of the first of these movies. He joins up with Jenny (Annie McEnroe, who was in Snowbeast and Battletruck) and the mysterious Stefan Crosscoe (Christopher Lee, who apologized to Joe Dante for making this movie) to battle werewolves.

This brings them on a journey to Transylvania and a battle against Stirba (Sybil Danning!),the queen of the werewolves, who is joined by Mariana (Marsha Hunt, who the song "Brown Sugar" is about) and Erle (Ferdy Mayne, who is in another film I can discuss for days and days, Night Train to Terror).

What follows is complete lunacy: werewolf witchcraft, lycan orgies, Sybil Danning repeatedly ripping off her top (the same shot repeated again and again to no complaint),dwarves, priests being killed and punk rock from the band Babel.

Director Philippe Mora actually made some pretty good films, like Mad Dog Morgan, The Beast Within and The Return of Captain Invincible. I'm insane and love this movie, so I will include it in my list of his good ones.

Finally, let's talk about another subject I can hold court on: Christopher Lee. Mora didn't know that Sir Lee was a war hero in Czechoslovakia, where this was filmed. Actually, no one did, because he wasn't allowed to talk about his intelligence work during World War II. When he showed up for filming, he was greeted with a hero's welcome, as he had killed a top Nazi official named Reinhard Heydrich. In fact, before he became an actor, Lee remained a Nazi hunter for several years.

I also love that this movie was sent the wrong costumes by 20th Century Fox. Instead of wolf suits, they were sent the monkey suits from Planet of the Apes. Lee tried to help fix this by ad-libbing, "The process of evolution is reversed."

This often fiercely ridiculed and much-derided sequel in name only to the outstanding "The Howling" quite simply doesn't get the respect it really deserves. In an (ill-advised) attempt to persuade you that this film seriously smokes instead of completely chokes I'm going to forgo the standard synopsis and critique approach to writing a comment and in its place list several solid reasons why this movie rules. With that obligatory intro stuff out of the way, let's get to that illustrious list: 1) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 2) Christopher Lee goes to a trendy punk club and gets to wear these gnarly sunglasses. Moreover, the ever-amazing Mr. Lee somehow manages to maintain his composure and dignity throughout the flick despite the fact that he's saddled with a ludicrously demeaning crummy role in which he plays a veteran werewolf hunter (oops, I meant to say "occult investigator") who comes across like a third-rate Van Helsing clone. 3) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 4) The groovy punk theme song by Babel is totally smoking. 5) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 6) Brawny male lead Reb Brown as the jerky joking hero gives a performance that's so atrocious and obnoxious that it will give you a greater appreciation for what a fine, accomplished and multi-faceted thespian Arnold Schwarzenegger truly is. 7) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 8) The lighting is so poor and shoddy that it almost hides the fact that the werewolf costumes and make-up are extremely sub-par. 9) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 10) Annie McEnroe as the scrawny and insipid heroine thankfully keeps her clothes on. 11) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 12) Marsha A. Hunt as a foxy black werewolf thankfully takes her clothes off. 13) Sybil Danning rips off her top and exposes her breasts. 14) A poor hapless dwarf's eyes explode and said dwarf becomes a hideously grotesque eyeless ghoul who tries and fails to kill Christopher Lee. 15) During the inspired ending credits sequence we are entreated to countless repeated shots of Sybil Danning ripping off her top and exposing her breasts. Wait a minute; I think I might have already mentioned that moment elsewhere in this comment. Oh well, it's without a doubt the undeniable highlight of this tremendously special, important and significant cinematic landmark.

Have an appreciation for horror and had been interested in 'The Howling' franchise for a while, with the first film being highly recommended. Also know that werewolf films have been done well on film, so decided to continue my "watching and reviewing all films from horror franchises" quest, and did so with 'The Howling' series.

Found myself really enjoying the first film and of 'The Howling' franchise it is by far the best. Didn't find myself enjoying the sequels as much, far less as a matter of fact, while not finding them completely disposable. 'The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf' is not quite among the lesser outings of the franchise, yet still feels like a completely different film to the first 'The Howling'. That film may not have been perfect (i.e. pacing),but it was an atmospheric and witty film with some really impressive effects. Here in 'The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf', the sly wit and well-timed eeriness of the first film are completely gone and replaced by over-the-top camp and bizarreness, neither of which really done well and there's little charm with either too. It was like watching a completely different franchise.

A few things save it. The best things about it are sensual Sybil Danning and her cleavage, that is like a character of its own. Some of the scenery is reasonably nice.

Christopher Lee's commanding presence is always a joy.

Sadly his dignity doesn't stay intact properly here because he has little to do and he spends a lot of his screen time looking as though he was regretting doing the film (that did turn out to be the case). He still comes off very well though compared to the rest of the cast, with Reb Brown and Annie McEnroe being just dreadful in uninteresting and annoying roles. The writing is very cheesy with no natural flow and the campness gets really over the top.

The story is a mess. There is no tension or suspense here, while it also suffers from being confusing, over-stretched and really tedious from all the dragged out stretches that felt like padding. The production values are poor this time too, the effects and make-up now woefully under-budgeted and often used gratuitously. The soundtrack is very intrusive and doesn't fit the film at all, also sounding cheap.

Overall, weak first sequel but not unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox