Supposedly this is more faithful to the original cartoon series that I've not seen yet… It's better than the first movie, at least. Recasting almost everyone and [spoiler]pretending John didn't start dating Dr. Bradford (she doesn't appear at all)[/spoiler] were pretty jarring changes, though.

Being produced a few years later probably gave the visual effects an edge, but that doesn't explain the whole _feel_ of the movie blending together so much better. Claw seems like a proper kids' movie villain now, and Penny (the only kid in the cast) actually has real involvement in the plot.

I wouldn't call it perfect, but in my book this sequel fixed _a lot_ of the shortcomings that held back its predecessor. Happy am I to contribute to the rating split… Love it or hate it, I think the improvement is objectively obvious.