The Fly 2 (1989)

Does The Fly 2 live up to the high level of inspiration and craftsmanship displayed in the 1986 version of The Fly? No. The Fly 2 has some undeniable flaws: it's about ten minutes too long for a film with such a simple storyline and, with the exception of Bartok, all of Martin's tormentors are one-dimensional caricatures. However, it's not really fair to judge it by such standards. The Fly 2 is essentially a late '80s update of the 1950s teen-oriented monster-movie formula. The script, whose final drafts were penned by a young Frank Darabont, approaches the process of Martin's mutation with imagination and sympathy. It also works in some anticorporate sentiments that were unexpectedly subversive for the time. FX artist-turned-director Chris Walas isn't the master stylist that Cronenberg is, but he handles the material with gusto (especially in the numerous effects-oriented scenes) and thankfully bypasses any overt campiness in his approach to the film. Best of all, The Fly 2 has a fantastic lead cast: Eric Stoltz underplays his tormented hero role nicely, Daphne Zuniga makes a genuinely appealing love interest, and Lee Richardson makes his villainous role mysterious and menacing in a subtle way. In short, The Fly 2 isn't the best of the horror sequels, but it works nicely on a programmer-status level. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide