Yeovil praised Atkins' script for its "surprisingly careful characterisations" and abandoning the "waffling metaphysics" of the previous film. However, he said Pinhead remains "a sub-Freddy goon" and the film has been purged of some of Barker's perversity and ambiguity. Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" rated it a letter grade of C− and wrote that the film, though it has a provocative theme, is more oriented toward vulgar depictions of gore than "the thin line separating pleasure and pain". Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" wrote that the series' mythology had become too complex by this point for newcomers to understand despite its popularity with horror fans. At the "Los Angeles Times", Kevin Thomas described the plot as "quite imaginative and even poignant" but said the violence numbs audiences looking for more than just gory special effects, unlike the first film. "Chicago Tribune" critic Johanna Steinmetz said that Joey and Pinhead do not have chemistry, and their back stories fail to mesh with the rest of the plot. Commenting on the film's acting, "Variety"s review identified Farrell as a "strong heroine" and Bradley as "a commanding presence". Harrington said it was "hardly a surprise that Bradley steals the film" and called Farrell "solid". Maslin said that Pinhead's portrayal makes him of interest to "a more discerning audience", and the film "unfolds as intelligently as it can, under the circumstances". Bradley was also highlighted by Thomas, who called him "a fine actor of much resonance"; Thomas wrote that none of the other cast members are as good, describing them as "callow". In a retrospective of the entire series for "The A.V. Club", Katie Rife wrote that "everyone is acting as hard as they possibly can", but the campy scenes make the more serious ones difficult to accept. She also criticized the dialogue as "rejected first drafts of a "True Detective" episode". "Variety" called the film "an effective combination of imaginative special effects with the strangeness of author Clive Barker’s original conception". In a pun on special effects supervisor Bob Keen' s name, Harrington called the effects "peachy Keen" and said Pinhead is Keen's masterpiece. Maslin's review described the special effects as "commendable" for bringing sophistication and "helping to usher in the age of high-tech horror".