It kinda goes without saying that with FX man Chris Walas taking the directorial reins from Cronenberg, the sequel to the 1986 horror hit The Fly ain't going to be on a par with its predecessor. But even though The Fly 2 doesn't quite pack the emotional wallop or sophistication of part one, it's still an enjoyable slice of hokey B-movie monster madness that should particularly appeal to those who love a bit of splatter with their big-bug action.
Part Two begins as Veronica, the pregnant girlfriend of tragic deceased scientific genius Seth Brundle, dies whilst giving birth to son Martin under the watchful eye of Bartok Industries, the organisation that funded Seth's telepod experiments (baboons don't grow on trees, y'know). Thanks to the unique human/fly genetic make-up he has inherited from his father, Martin experiences accelerated growth, and by the age of five, is a fully grown scientific whizz-kid (played by Eric Stoltz) working for his benefactor Anton Bartok (on the same telepod project that claimed his father's life) and romancing pretty computer operator Beth Logan (Daphne Zuniga).
Bartok (Lee Richardson), however, is not as benevolent as he seems: with his own wicked agenda in mind, he has led Martin to believe that his rapid growth is the result of a very rare growth disorder, and has kept the lad under continuous observation, waiting for the day that his dormant insect genes fully awaken to transform him into a multi-limbed monster.
Despite being a newbie in the director's chair, Chris Walas proves to be no slouch when calling the shots: working from a script by frequent Stephen King collaborators Frank Darabont and Mick Garris, he delivers a surprisingly polished product that offers spirited performances from B-list stars Stoltz and Zuniga, a touch of pathos with a memorable key scene involving a mutated dog, and a whole slew of top-notch special effects, the most stomach churning of which see one poor guy having his head crushed by an elevator! Yowch!
I do struggle a little with the notion that entering a telepod with another human being (especially a full clothed one) would revert a Brundlefly to perfect human form, but since this was something alluded to in the original, and there's a fitting payoff for the bad guy as a result, I'll cut the film some slack. Besides, I had lots of fun with The Fly 2, and that's what really matters.
Part Two begins as Veronica, the pregnant girlfriend of tragic deceased scientific genius Seth Brundle, dies whilst giving birth to son Martin under the watchful eye of Bartok Industries, the organisation that funded Seth's telepod experiments (baboons don't grow on trees, y'know). Thanks to the unique human/fly genetic make-up he has inherited from his father, Martin experiences accelerated growth, and by the age of five, is a fully grown scientific whizz-kid (played by Eric Stoltz) working for his benefactor Anton Bartok (on the same telepod project that claimed his father's life) and romancing pretty computer operator Beth Logan (Daphne Zuniga).
Bartok (Lee Richardson), however, is not as benevolent as he seems: with his own wicked agenda in mind, he has led Martin to believe that his rapid growth is the result of a very rare growth disorder, and has kept the lad under continuous observation, waiting for the day that his dormant insect genes fully awaken to transform him into a multi-limbed monster.
Despite being a newbie in the director's chair, Chris Walas proves to be no slouch when calling the shots: working from a script by frequent Stephen King collaborators Frank Darabont and Mick Garris, he delivers a surprisingly polished product that offers spirited performances from B-list stars Stoltz and Zuniga, a touch of pathos with a memorable key scene involving a mutated dog, and a whole slew of top-notch special effects, the most stomach churning of which see one poor guy having his head crushed by an elevator! Yowch!
I do struggle a little with the notion that entering a telepod with another human being (especially a full clothed one) would revert a Brundlefly to perfect human form, but since this was something alluded to in the original, and there's a fitting payoff for the bad guy as a result, I'll cut the film some slack. Besides, I had lots of fun with The Fly 2, and that's what really matters.