THE FLY II (1989)
That damn dog scene. Man, it's even worse when you know it's coming up and you just dread it. No amount of mental fast-forwarding will prepare you for that level of second-hand suffering, but once you get past the discomfort (it sounds like I'm describing a date with me), there is an above-average sci-fi/horror treat to watch. It may be an unwritten law that you're supposed to prefer David Cronenberg's The Fly to its inferior sequel, but I think I enjoy them both equitably. Of course, I'm not going to go out on a (phantom) limb and say that it's the better product. It's probably not. But! The payoff is so rewarding. Before we get there, allow me to bring you up to speed. Veronica (Geena Davis in the first film) dies giving birth to a cocoon named Martin. The Brundlekin is raised in a laboratory setting. He ages rapidly, and by the time he's five, he looks old enough to drink. He resents his clinically monitored lifestyle, so for his birthday, his father figure gifts him an apartment.
It's not the apartment that Martin wanted; it's the privacy. And for awhile, it seems that his wish has been granted. The viewer knows better, though. Whether or not you have a nefarious corporation on your bingo card, Martin is about to add "thorax day" to his workout regimen. I mentioned the payoff earlier. A little past the hour mark, The Fly II hits the gonzo button and becomes a gooey nightmare that revels in its practical special effects. It might be gorier than its predecessor, and if what I'm reading is true (as we all know, there is no reason to doubt the Internet), the studio wasn't forced to make egregious cuts to avoid an X rating. Eric Stoltz is affable as Martin. Daphne Zuniga fares well as the cute girlfriend. I didn't notice the fact that the running time sailed past 100 minutes, so that's another check in the "pro" column. Yeah, I'd call The Fly II a rousing success. Recommended for fans of maggots and mandibles.
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