The kind of sequel that looks as if it might have been made on the set of its predecessor after the director and cast had gone home, The Fly II is an enjoyable romp which, while nothing to David Cronenberg's 1986 horror flick, also takes nothing away from it - except, of course, director Cronenberg and stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis.
It opens with the violent birth of Martin, son of the ill-fated teleportation scientist Seth Brundle (around whom the original film was based), resulting in the unfortunate (but convenient) death of Seth's girlfriend. From there it progresses at a flighty pace, introducing Eric Stoltz as the grown-up boy, Martin Brundle, and including enough special effects to keep Cronenberg fans quiet, due no doubt to the not inconsiderable talents of director Chris Walas.
In a fairly unimaginative story, Brundle minor is encouraged by his late father's financier to continue with the teleportation experiments, which he finally perfects at the cost of his pet dog and his girlfriend. Martin has other problems, though: his inherited insect genes are proving stronger than his human ones, and the inevitable metamorphosis begins - but with refreshingly unpredictable results.
Eric Stoltz, who starred as the ugly in Mask, manages to convince us that he wants to be in this film, and that he knows what he's doing in it, but his portrayal is shallower and less sympathetic than Goldblum's. However, whilst this fly is not as tightly scripted or keenly directed as its parent, it does have pace, breathless tension and the sort of gross-out effects that rules out kebabs for some time after the credits have rolled.