Brian Yuzna continues this wild horror series with this cheaper entry filmed in Spain. While inevitably it doesn't reach the same level of lunatic heights as the original or even the first sequel, it comes up with enough outrageous mayhem to work as a generally enjoyable sequel. At least it comes up with one new wrinkle to add to the familiar plot.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) has now been in prison for 14 years and experiments on the only living things he can find: rats, of course. A new doctor at the prison, Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) chooses this gig because he's intrigued by West and had a run in with one of Wests' creations as a kid. Things predictably get out of hand, even as West reveals his invention of a new solution that supposedly will restore rational behaviour to a re-animated subject.
Combs is as perfect as ever playing West, still with that same air of superiority, and sneering at almost everybody around him, including the nefarious Warden Brando (Simon Andreu). Barry does a passable job at basically being a replacement for Bruce Abbotts' Dan Cain. Incredibly foxy blonde Elsa Pataky is highly watchable as ambitious journalist Laura Olney, a potential girlfriend for Howard.
The makeup effects are reasonably effective, with good work by Screaming Mad George and others. There's an extremely infantile gag involving a part of the male anatomy and a rat (that extends into the closing credits). The prison setting allows Yuzna and company to build to a typically frantic climax involving a riot while our main characters have it out with each other. The "Psycho" inspired main music theme by Richard Band is still fun to listen to.
If one is a fan of this series and isn't too demanding, they can have a pretty good, if not great, time with "Beyond Re-Animator". It's the least of the three movies, but still offers a fair amount of entertainment.
Seven out of 10.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) has now been in prison for 14 years and experiments on the only living things he can find: rats, of course. A new doctor at the prison, Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) chooses this gig because he's intrigued by West and had a run in with one of Wests' creations as a kid. Things predictably get out of hand, even as West reveals his invention of a new solution that supposedly will restore rational behaviour to a re-animated subject.
Combs is as perfect as ever playing West, still with that same air of superiority, and sneering at almost everybody around him, including the nefarious Warden Brando (Simon Andreu). Barry does a passable job at basically being a replacement for Bruce Abbotts' Dan Cain. Incredibly foxy blonde Elsa Pataky is highly watchable as ambitious journalist Laura Olney, a potential girlfriend for Howard.
The makeup effects are reasonably effective, with good work by Screaming Mad George and others. There's an extremely infantile gag involving a part of the male anatomy and a rat (that extends into the closing credits). The prison setting allows Yuzna and company to build to a typically frantic climax involving a riot while our main characters have it out with each other. The "Psycho" inspired main music theme by Richard Band is still fun to listen to.
If one is a fan of this series and isn't too demanding, they can have a pretty good, if not great, time with "Beyond Re-Animator". It's the least of the three movies, but still offers a fair amount of entertainment.
Seven out of 10.