The Fly II
20th Century Fox (1989)
Horror, Sci-Fi
In Collection
#848
6*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
024543192060
IMDB   4.3
104 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   R
Eric Stoltz Martin Brundle
Daphne Zuniga Beth Logan
Lee Richardson Anton Bartok
John Getz Stathis Borans
Frank C. Turner Shepard
Ann Marie Lee Dr. Jainway
Gary Chalk Scorby
Saffron Henderson Veronica 'Ronnie' Quaife
Harley Cross 10 Year Old Martin
Matthew Moore 4 Year Old Martin
Rob Roy Wiley
Andrew Rhodes Hargis
Pat Bermel Mackenzie
William S. Taylor Dr. Trimble
Jerry Wasserman Simms
Director Chris Walas
Writer George Langelaan
Mick Garris

Chris Walas, the makeup and animatronics director on David Cronenberg's re-make of The Fly, takes a stab at directorial duties in this sequel. Before Seth Brundle morphed into scrap metal in the original The Fly, he managed to leave behind the seed of his legacy, and at the start of The Fly 2 his son Martin (Eric Stoltz) has suffered an accelerated growth, thanks to his fly genes. Although played by Stoltz, Martin is supposed to be only five human years old, and unaware of his imminent transformation into a fly. All his life, Martin has been confined to a laboratory at Bartok Industries, where evil CEO Bartok (Lee Richardson) plans to breed a new race of super flies. Martin spends his days working in the lab experimenting with teleportation. But then Martin meets Beth (Daphne Zuniga), an attractive researcher. Martin is attracted to her, but not only do his hormones kick in, but also his fly genes. Soon, Martin begins to transform into a bug just like his father. Desperate to stop his transformation, he wreaks revenge upon Bartok while trying the find a mate with which to swap his unwanted fly genes before it's too late. — Paul Brenner
Edition Details
Edition Special Edition
Release Date 10/4/2005
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio 1.85:1
Subtitles English; Spanish
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: DTS 5.1 [CC]
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Stereo
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Surround
Layers Single Side, Dual Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 2
Personal Details
Purchase Date 10/23/2009
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Best Buy
Purchase Price $14.99
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 448 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links DVD Empire
Amazon US
IMDB

Features
Disc 01 Anamophic
Before the menu, you can view an up-front anti-piracy ad and a fly landing on the FBI warning (nice touch). As a fly zooms around the menu screen, cat owners (with a decent home theatre speaker system) may observe their feline pets searching frantically for the insect (as mine did). Director Chris Walas joins film historian Bob Burns for an engaging audio commentary on Disc One. There are also bonus trailers, a deleted scene, and an alternate ending. Disc Two adds two impressively in-depth documentaries: the 48-minute Transformations: Looking Back At The Fly II and the 58-minute The Fly Papers: The Buzz On Hollywood’s Scariest Insect; and three featurettes: the five-minute 1989 theatrical EPK, an 18-minute video production journal that reveals visual effects secrets, and a 13-minute highlight on composer Christopher Young’s work. Additionally, there are three storyboard-to-film comparisons with optional director commentary, two trailers (the teaser and theatrical trailer), and still galleries (production, art, and storyboards)

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
Since the WSR staff was pretty much “flied out, here’s all we have to say about The Fly II. It’s not very good. Okay, okay. Eric Stolz is Martin, another Son Of Fly, and at five years old, he’s a fully matured adult (must have something to do with the fly genes). When Eric meets the pretty researchist Beth (Zuniga), his dormant fly DNA kicks in along with his hormones and we’ve got yet another Super Fly. No, not that one! (Laurie Sevano)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD picture exhibits a color scheme that is comparable to The Fly-though perhaps a bit more oversaturated at times. Contrast and shadow delineation can be nicely rendered, though some visual information gets lost in the darker scenes. Clarity is wanting, with many scenes appearing “pasty” and lacking definition. Minor pixelization is noticed, as are artifacts. Overall, the picture looks like it was originated from mediocre elements. Flecks of dirt are inherent in the source element. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
Both the Dolby® Digital and DTS® Digital Surround™ 5.1-channel soundtracks can be fully engaging, with a good use of each of the six channels in delivering the information. Music is mixed well around the entire stage doing its part in adding to the tension, and dialogue is presented with a consistent tonality. Deep, solid bass is delivered through each of the five full range channels, and the LFE channel can be used well in punctuating the low end. Some background noise can take away from the experience, but it is still enjoyable. The DTS track provides slightly improved fidelity in the fine details. (Danny Richelieu)