THE FLY 2 & THE FLY: JEFF GOLDBLUM & DAPHNE ZUNIGA

Fly 2 with the gorgeous dark & brooding Daphne Zuniga

THE FLY 2: Scientist Seth Brundle, played by Jeff Goldblum in THE FLY, had a great character arc. Going from a shy, sheltered scientist and then, after teleporting himself from one "pod"  to another… not knowing a stowaway fly’s inside… he slowly transforms into a muscular sex machine – and then declines into the title creature under the gratuitously gross (and wonderful) direction of David Cronenberg. It should be mentioned that love interest Geena Davis winded up with his baby – and here we begin this muddled yet entertaining sequel where Brundle’s boy Marty, half human, half insect (only the human form showing), is born into, and raised within, a nefarious corporate laboratory watching his every step. Some good scenes have the rapidly aging child genius outsmarting the frustrated employees. Then at five he's fully-grown Eric Stoltz, who'll take over his dad's work to make teleporting a success. And cutting to the chase: Marty meets a beautiful technician Beth… Daphne Zuniga at her loveliest… a romance ensues.

SequelScore: ***1/2

But here’s the catch – Marty’s morphing into his inevitable future, and unlike the 80’s original it’s a quick changeling as the rest of the film takes place within the lab: the creature killing anyone in its path. Meanwhile, there’s a lot of “modern” blood and guts (beware of a heavy gross-out factor), yet a 1950's style bubbling beaker simplicity is what makes the sequel work, setting THE FLY 2 apart from the predecessor where the creature itself didn’t do much: here the monster really gets down and dirty throughout the shady interior. And there’s even a light at the end of the tunnel – if anything else, you’ll hope poor Beth gets her boyfriend back.

year: 1986 rating: ****

THE FLY: Jeff Goldblum was born to play Seth Brundle, a scientist on the verge of teleporting humans from one pod to another. The tall, skinny, sarcastic actor displays both dramatic talent and a muscular build: proving he's more than comic relief. But it's prior to the inevitable metamorphosis from man to bug, as Goldblum, with Geena Davis as his journalist girlfriend, sweats over the scientific process... and eventually tests it on himself, gaining a mysterious gust of energy... that things really roll, and he hits the town, and exploits his new powers. It's too bad director David Cronenberg goes way overboard with grotesque makeup, not only hindering the overall suspense but the lead performance as well. And yet, it's all pretty good, and proof that some remakes do actually work; and, like THE THING, can even be superior than the original.

Eric Stoltz facing Daphne Zuniga

Daphne Zuniga cuddles an experiment

Daphne Zuniga brings a buzz to THE FLY 2

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