The tyranist's thoughts
I must admit that I was anticipating much hokey inferiority when I sat down to watch this movie. The trailers made it look like a throwback movie to the '50s when the orignal Fly series was made. On top of that, how could anyone possibly out-do David Cronenberg? There was simply no way that they were going to be able to match the first.
Well, their scheme sort of worked. Instead of trying to match the weirdness and sense of mystery that the first one embodied, they gathered four writers who would all go on to later greatness (Garris and Darabont known for Stephen King adaptations and the Wheat brothers contributed on a number of decent horror films including the recent Pitch Black) and had them come up with a script that echoed the '50s sentimentality while actually telling an engaging story. Add to that new monster make-up which was both better and worse in certain respects, and really, the sequel is a decent movie that deserves consideration in its own right.
When I saw Daphne Zuniga's name flash through the credits, I got excited. She hasn't done enough if you ask me. I was also pleased to see that John Getz was back. It really helps the credibility of a sequel when it features a recurring character played by the same actor. There was a bit of footage featuring Jeff Goldblum that is not in the first movie, but that I have decided must be clipped footage. At least, I don't remember having seen it. Perhaps someone more obsessive than myself will track that down.
Anyway, there is plenty here and even though some of the story is pretty cliched, there is enough to entertain even a jaded horror fan such as myself. If you are looking for another The Fly, then you'll probably be disappointed, but if you just want to relax and watch a movie that someone obviously loved, enjoy.