20th Century Fox, 1989
starring: Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga and Lee Richardson
directed by: Chris Walas

the plot: Several months after the final events of “The Fly,” Seth Brundle’s lover Veronica gives birth to some sort of larval egg containing a human baby. Veronica dies during childbirth, but her son Martin is a remarkable boy, indeed. Afflicted with his dad’s mutant genes, he grows up at an accelerated rate, both physically and cognitively. By the age of 5, Martin (Stoltz) is a fully grown adult. But he’s still under the strict supervision of Bartok (Richardson), head of Bartok Industries, Seth Brundle’s former employer. Bartok wants Martin to repair the faulty teleportation pods his father developed in the first film. Martin takes to this task with relish, sparking a romantic interest in co-worker Beth (Zuniga) in the process. But soon enough his genetic affliction rears its buggy head, and he begins to undergo a hideous metamorphosis. In order to find a cure, Martin must escape Bartok’s nefarious grip, with Beth as his only ally.

why it’s good: A combination of three elements made 1986’s “The Fly” a sci-fi horror classic. Firstly, the brilliant directorial vision of David Cronenberg. Secondly, the charismatic screen presence of Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. And thirdly, the skin-crawling creature effects by Chris Walas. Only one of those elements is retained in the sequel, and that’s the visual effects by Walas, who here takes over as director. But his cinematic vision is not as strong, and stars Eric Stoltz (best known as Lance the heroin dealer in “Pulp Fiction”) and Daphne Zuniga (best known as Princess Vespa in “Space Balls”) lack magnetism. The movie takes a while to get going; other than a couple of gratuitous scenes (including one in which a mutant dog chomps off a man’s fingers), there are few shocks during the first hour. Then Martin enters his slimy cocoon and emerges as a monstrous fly-man, and a flurry of gory fatalities takes place in the final 15 minutes. Many of the creepiest touches from the first film are replicated in slightly different form—Seth Brundle’s transformation began with him pulling out his fingernails, and Martin’s begins when he tugs a strand of white, webby pus from his arm. The original Brundlefly severed a man’s hand and foot with its corrosive vomit; his progeny uses the same tactic to melt a guy’s face. It’s the oozy, putrefying body horror that remains most stirring and memorable in “The Fly II.” Also, John Getz, the only actor to reprise his role from the first film, delivers a couple of wonderfully cheesy lines. On his acrimonious relationship with the late Seth Brundle: “He bugged me.”

why you should own it: Twentieth Century Fox released “The Fly Collector Set” in 2007, packaging both films together. And stay tuned for more entomological horror—the rumor buzzing around Hollywood is that David Cronenberg has already written a script for a new installment of “The Fly.”