SoH Reviews: The Fly II (1989)

The day (6/12) started out weird with the wifi going in and out. And since it was being unreliable, I had 2 options: watch dvds or watch my vhs tapes and there were only 2 left in my collection that I had to watch. I chose the latter.

The other option was Poltergeist II which maybe one day this month I’ll check it out. It takes a lot of extra effort to connect my vhs back up but once it’s connected, no problems. I didn’t have high expectations because it is a sequel and either they work or they don’t. And the other thing against it is that none of the original people are back, minus one character (for obvious reasons) and the first is really cool. I have not seen the original version with Vincent Price but I think I’d enjoy that one too.

We’re gonna talk about 1989’s The Fly II. I gave you guys hints! I have some things to say about this one!

Ohhhhhhh where to start? The beginning?

So this movie is picking up where The Fly left where Geena Davis’ character gave birth to that larvae. Shudders. But because neither she nor Jeff Goldblum are in this (again obvious reasons movie wise), it’s a new actress, giving birth and instead of a larvae, it’s some other contraption, being watched above by some uppity scientists and doctors and somehow inside this sac, a cleaned newborn is birthed.

What?

The opening credits, the entire time I was like “oh no.” And then in my head, it was becoming predictable and I was pretty much correct on what I figured was going to happen! We’re introduced to Martin Brundle (played by Eric Stoltz when he’s older) and he is basically a big lab rat. There’s protocols, safety measures, etc, to keep him in check and monitor him. He has a guardian but I’m saying that lightly, but a man named Anton Bartok is basically his “dad” when his parents are both deceased. Eventually we watch him grow up even though he looks like a 20 something year old man but he’s still underdeveloped age wise. It’s weird, I just thought about that.

Like at one point he’s 3 but he looks 10??

That is something else when Daphne Zuniga’s character comes into play. I… I’m just now realizing that. Let alone, buying their chemistry together. I didn’t buy it at all. I think she has more chemistry with Bill Pullman from Spaceballs than this!

But in a very predictable way, Martin is pushing buttons, boundaries, uncovering truths about his situation and how he basically is being monitored and he can’t leave the premises because he wouldn’t survive (very true) but then he falls for this girl and he invites her over eventually to his “place” but he’s still on the property of the company and they were watching and that’s disgusting!

So at this point, I’m watching but I’m kinda bored because everything up to this point has been a bit predictable. It gets interesting once Martin finds the hidden cameras around his so-called safe space and then breaks out. Meanwhile, there’s this shifty, shitty, disgusting head of security (his name might be Scorby) or whoever he is and I just hate his guts too. Like how he was talking about Martin and Beth’s date/moment in bed and it’s just… “I hope he gets it” in the end and yes he does but it wasn’t enough!

Martin runs away, finds Beth, they run off together but they do find John Getz’s character from the first film, Stathis, who gives advice on how to reverse the mutation process. Martin is transforming bit by bit and becoming a different person than what Beth knew and she can’t handle it so eventually they go back to the company and this is when things pop off! And here is where the gore and blood and special effects come in. This isn’t a Cronenberg film so we’re not getting the ooey gooey yummy gore but still good. This to me is the highlight of the movie. I’ll say from the moment he leaves to the end of the film was more interesting.

The kills, especially the acid to the face melt scene is pretty great. But what I was surprised with the most was how certain people were knocked off and who was left standing, especially the ending. I kind of predicted the ending to a percent, like 85% correct.

At the end of the day, the movie got a 3 out of 5 with me. It was at a 2.5 and then the latter half of the movie kicked in, maybe the last 30-40 minutes and then I was heavily invested. Which is a shame because this movie could have had more potential but it felt like too much exposition or like explaining to the audience who Martin was and how special he was. They could afford to lose like 20 minutes of that film or script.

The Fly II, directed by Chris Walas, screenplay by Mick Garris (WHAT), Frank Darabont (NOooooo), Chris Wheat and Ken Wheat, stars Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga, Lee Richardson, Harley Cross and John Gertz.