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{{short description|1989 science fiction horror film directed by Chris Walas}}
{{Infobox Film | name = The Fly II
{{Infobox film
| image = Fly2Poster.JPG
| name = The Fly II
| caption = "Like father, Like son."
| image = Fly2Poster.JPG
| director = [[Chris Walas]]
| alt =
| producer = [[Steven-Charles Jaffe]]
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| writer = '''Characters:'''<br>[[George Langelaan]]<br>'''Screenplay:'''<br>[[Mick Garris]]<br>[[Jim Wheat]]<br>[[Ken Wheat]]<br>[[Frank Darabont]]
| director = [[Chris Walas]]
| starring = [[Eric Stoltz]]<br />[[Daphne Zuniga]]<br />[[John Getz]]<br />[[Lee Richardson]]
| music = [[Christopher Young]]
| producer = [[Steven-Charles Jaffe]]
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
| cinematography = [[Robin Vidgeon]]
| editing = [[Sean Barton]]
* [[Mick Garris]]
* [[Frank Darabont]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
* [[Ken and Jim Wheat|Jim Wheat<br />Ken Wheat]]
| released = [[February 10]]th, [[1989]]
| runtime = 105 min.
| country = Canada/USA
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget =
| preceded_by = ''[[The Fly (1986 film)]]
| amg_id = 1:17926
| imdb_id = 0097368
}}
}}
| based_on = {{Based on|Characters|[[George Langelaan]]}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|
'''''The Fly II''''' was a [[film|movie]] produced in [[1989]] starring [[Eric Stoltz]] and [[Daphne Zuniga]]. It was directed by [[Chris Walas]] as a sequel to the [[1986]] movie ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]''. Stoltz's character in ''The Fly II'' was the son of [[Seth Brundle]], the scientist-turned-'Brundlefly', played by [[Jeff Goldblum]] in the 1986 remake. [[John Getz]] was the only actor from the first film to reprise his role.
* [[Eric Stoltz]]
* [[Daphne Zuniga]]
* [[Lee Richardson (actor)|Lee Richardson]]
* [[Harley Cross]]
* [[John Getz]]
}}
| music = [[Christopher Young]]
| cinematography = Robin Vidgeon
| editing = Sean Barton
| studio = [[List of Brooksfilms productions|Brooksfilms]]
| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released = {{Film date|1989|02|10}}
| runtime = 105 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $12.5 million<ref name="AFI">{{cite web |title=The Fly II (1989)|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58070-THE-FLYII?sid=3b2edb08-9bb9-455e-9d84-a0830200dcb5&sr=8.935679&cp=1&pos=0|website=[[American Film Institute|AFI]] |access-date=January 2, 2025}}</ref>
| gross = $38.9 million<ref name=boxofficemojo />
}}
'''''The Fly II''''' is a 1989 American [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[horror film]] directed by [[Chris Walas]]. The film stars [[Eric Stoltz]] and [[Daphne Zuniga]], and is a sequel to the 1986 film ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]'', itself a [[Film remake|remake]] of the [[The Fly (1958 film)|1958 film of the same name]]. Stoltz's character in this sequel is the adult son of Veronica Quaife and Seth Brundle, a scientist who became a human-fly hybrid as a result of an experiment gone awry, played by [[Jeff Goldblum]] in the 1986 remake. With the exception of footage of Goldblum from the first film, [[John Getz]] was the only actor to reprise his role, with another actress filling the [[Geena Davis]] role as Quaife in the opening birth scene. Unlike the [[The Fly (1986 film)|previous film]], this film received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
<!-- Per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], plot summaries should be between 400 and 700 words. -->
Several months after the events of ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]'', Veronica Quaife gives birth to a larval sac and dies. The sac splits open to reveal a seemingly normal baby boy. Anton Bartok, the owner of the company that financed Seth Brundle's teleportation experiments, adopts the child and names him Martin. Martin grows up in a clinical environment. His physical and mental maturity is highly accelerated, and he possesses a genius-level intellect, incredible reflexes, and no need for sleep. He knows he is aging faster than a normal human, but is unaware of the true cause, having been told his father died from the same rapid aging disease.


At age three, Martin has the physique of a 10-year-old and frequently sneaks around to explore the Bartok complex. He finds a room containing laboratory animals and befriends a dog. The next night, he brings it food but finds it missing. He enters an observation booth overlooking Bay 17. There, scientists have reassembled Brundle's Telepods, but have been unable to duplicate the programming that enabled them to teleport living subjects. An attempt to teleport the dog fails, leaving it horribly deformed. It maims one of the scientists, horrifying Martin. Two years later, Martin's body has matured to that of a 25-year-old. On his fifth birthday, Bartok presents Martin with a [[bungalow]] on the Bartok facility's property and offers Martin the job of repairing his father's Telepods. When Martin is uneasy about the proposition, Bartok shows him Veronica Quaife's videotapes, which documented Seth Brundle's progress with the Telepods. Seeing his father describe how the Telepods ostensibly improved and energized his body, Martin accepts Bartok's proposal.
The story begins several months after the first film, with the birth of Martin Brundle. Martin is unique, as he is the offspring of [[Veronica Quaife]] and [[Seth Brundle]]/Brundlefly, the human-housefly hybrid from the first film. The birth is under the control of Brundle's employer, Anton Bartok, owner of Bartok Industries (which financed Brundle's teleportation experiments in the first film). Veronica dies during childbirth, leaving Martin in the custody of Bartok, who plans to exploit his unique condition.


As he works on the Telepods, Martin befriends an employee, Beth Logan. Beth invites Martin to a party at the specimens division, where he learns that the mutated dog is still kept alive and studied. Thinking Beth is aware of the dog's imprisonment, Martin argues with her, leaves the party, and goes to the animal's holding pen. The deformed dog, in terrible pain, still remembers Martin, and he tearfully euthanizes it with [[chloroform]]. Martin reconciles with Beth and arrives at his father's revelation and realizes the Telepods' computer needs to analyze living flesh. Martin shows Beth his perfected Telepods by teleporting a kitten without harm. They become lovers, but Martin shows signs of his eventual mutation into a human-fly hybrid. Martin devises a potential cure for his condition, which involves swapping out his mutated genes for healthy human genes. Martin shelves this idea when he realizes the other person would be subject to a grotesque genetic disfigurement.
Martin's lifespan is quickly accelerated as a result of his mutant genes. He knows that he is aging faster than a normal human, but he doesn't know of his insect heritage. As Martin grows, Bartok befriends him, amusing him with simple magic tricks, and tells him that the "magic word" to make the 'magic' happen is a secret word, and to never tell it to anyone as that's what makes the magic work. When Martin is three years old, he's already physically aged to a child of around ten. He frequently sneaks out of his room, and finds a room full of test animals awaiting testing. Martin befriends a labrador retriever. The next night, he sneaks out again to bring him some of his dinner, but he's gone. Martin finds the telepod lab, and they're about to teleport his dog as a test subject. The dog ends up horribly deformed, but still alive. Martin screams. Horrified, Martin cries as Bartok consoles him.


Eventually, Martin learns that Bartok has hidden cameras in his bungalow. Martin breaks into Bartok's records room, where he learns of his father's true fate. Bartok confronts Martin and explains that he is aware of and has been waiting for his inevitable mutation. Bartok reveals his plan to use Martin's body and the Telepods' potential for genetic manipulation for profit. Martin's insect genes fully awaken and his transformation into a human-insect hybrid begins, and he escapes from Bartok Industries. Bartok is unable to use the Telepods, as they are locked by a password. Martin also installed a computer virus which will erase the Telepods' programming if the wrong password is entered. Bartok orders a search for Martin.
Two years later, Martin is physically twenty years old, and is a fully mature adult. Bartok then offers Martin a position working on Seth Brundle's [[telepods]]. In the past five years, Bartok and his scientists have not made any progress in getting them to work. Bartok hopes Martin will be able to finish what his father started. He also apologizes for the dog, stating that he didn't suffer long.


Martin goes to Beth and explains the situation, and the two flee. They visit Veronica Quaife's old confidant, Stathis Borans, now a bitter, reclusive drunk after Veronica's death, who confirms for Martin that the Telepods are his only chance for a cure. They keep running, but Martin's physical and emotional changes become too much for Beth to handle, and she eventually surrenders them both to Bartok. Without revealing the password, Martin becomes enveloped in a cocoon. Bartok interrogates Beth for the password. Shortly after, the fully transformed Martin emerges from his cocoon and breaks into Bay 17. He grabs Bartok, forces him to type in the password, "Dad", and drags Bartok and himself into a Telepod. Martin gestures Beth to activate the gene-swapping sequence and she complies. Martin is restored to a fully human form, and Bartok is transformed into a deformed monstrosity.
As he begins work on the telepods, Martin befriends Bartok employee Beth Logan. They grow closer together over time as Martin tries to get the telepods to function correctly, and Beth invites him to a party over at the genetic research area. Once there, Martin discovers Bartok lied to him; they've kept his dog alive for two years. He runs out of the party and sneaks down to the holding pen where the dog is. The dog, however mutated and in pain, still remembers him and starts to wag its tail. Martin sits with it, and while petting his former pet, ends its misery by euthanizing it with [[chloroform]]. The next day, Bartok asks if Martin is aware of the break-in over at genetic research. Martin coldly says "no". and Bartok smiles (realizing Martin is lying) as he states that Martin is finally growing up. Bartok believes that Martin will become like him, a liar and corrupt man.


Inside the dog's former enclosure, the Bartok creature crawls towards a food bowl filled with slops, and sees a single [[housefly]] sitting on its edge.
Eventually, Martin gets the telepods to function properly, but he also learns the truth of his father's fate, his own biology, Bartok's motives, and of a possible cure to his condition. Unfortunately, the cure, which involves swapping out Martin's insect genes for healthy human genes, requires the sacrifice of another healthy human being, who will in turn suffer a grotesque genetic fate as a result. Things begin to culminate when Martin's dormant insect genes awaken and the signs of his transformation begin. Martin escapes from Bartok Industries when he's told by Bartok of his "fate". Even though Martin successfully repaired the telepods, Bartok is unable to use them as Martin has installed a password with a computer virus attached (the computer asks for the "magic word") to erase the computer's memory if the wrong word is inputted. Bartok knows Martin had indeed been listening to him when Martin was a child and they'll never figure out the "magic word" without him.


== Cast ==
Martin and Beth flee and go on the run. They go to visit [[Stathis Borans]] (who's become a recluse and a drunk since Veronica died in childbirth), who tells them he's not their hope, but confirms to Martin that the telepods are the only things that hold any chance of a "cure". They take Stathis Boran's truck and check into a motel, but Martin's physical and emotional changes become too much for Beth to handle and she surrenders them both to Bartok in desperation. Once they find him, Martin is already in the process of cocooning himself. Bartok asks Martin for the "magic word" to which Martin says "it's a secret word..." and doesn't reveal it. Bartok playfully scolds Martin for running away from him then says "...welcome back, son".
<!--- Cast and order per tombstone opening credits, roles per closing credits scroll --->
{{Cast listing|
* [[Eric Stoltz]] as Martin Brundle
** [[Harley Cross]] as 10 year old Martin<br>(age 3, but advanced body)
* [[Daphne Zuniga]] as Beth Logan
* [[Lee Richardson (actor)|Lee Richardson]] as Anton Bartok
* [[Garry Chalk]] as Scorby
* Ann Marie Lee as Jainway
* [[Frank C. Turner|Frank Turner]] as Norman Shepard
* [[John Getz]] as Stathis Borans
}}


In addition, [[Saffron Henderson]] briefly appears as Veronica Quaife, the role played by [[Geena Davis]] in the original film while [[archive footage]] of [[Jeff Goldblum]], uncredited, shows him in the Seth Brundle role from the original film.
Once back at Bartok Industries, Martin has become completely encased in his cocoon. Beth Logan is subjected to horrible tests to make sure she has not been contaminated. Afterwards, Barton has her brought to him in the lab with the telepods and interrogates her about the "magic word." However, Bartok is not completely prepared for the full brunt of "Martinfly". Martinfly emerges from his cocoon and ruthlessly stalks and kills those trying to subdue him, as well as taking revenge on his betrayers. Despite the brutal methods he uses to eliminate the security team dispatched to recapture him, a trace of Martin's former humanity remains, demonstrated by his refusal to harm Beth and him simply stroking a dog that was sent to sniff him out. Having taken out the soldiers, Martinfly grabs Bartok, types in the magic word "dad," forces Bartok into a telepod, and gestures for Beth to activate the gene-swapping sequence. When the two are reintegrated in the receiving telepod, Martin is restored to his fully human form, his fly genes now removed from his body, and in the end, Bartok suffers the ironic fate of becoming a freakish monster himself.


== Production ==
==Makeup/Creature Effects==
{{expand section|date=February 2019}}
[[Geena Davis]], who played Veronica Quaife in the first film, was replaced by [[Saffron Henderson]] for the sequel, as Davis refused to reprise her role due to her character's death in the first act disallowing the opportunity for character development.<ref name=denofgeek>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/24116/looking-back-at-the-fly-ii|title=Looking back at The Fly II|author=Ryan Lambie|date=January 21, 2013|website=[[Den of Geek]]|publisher=Dennis Publisher|access-date=February 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/114322/the-fly-ii-2/|title=The Fly II - Bloody Disgusting|date=May 24, 2010|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=February 18, 2019}}</ref> [[Keanu Reeves]] was offered the role of Brundle but turned it down as he disliked the script.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whoaisnotme.net/articles/1990_02xx_you.htm |title = The Young and the Restless :: WINM :: Keanu Reeves Articles & Interviews Archive}}</ref> [[Josh Brolin]] was passed after a failed audition for the role.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ewing |first1=Jeff |title=Josh Brolin Had A Ridiculous Failed Audition For The Fly 2 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/826643/josh-brolin-had-a-ridiculous-failed-audition-for-the-fly-2/ |website=SlashFilm |date=8 April 2022 |access-date=September 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Josh Brolin interview at Hot Ones |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ZtaaMml90 |website=YouTube |date=7 April 2022|access-date=April 7, 2022}}</ref> ''The Fly II'' is an early entry in the filmography of [[Frank Darabont]], who co-wrote the screenplay.<ref name=denofgeek /> [[Tom Sullivan (special effects artist)|Tom Sullivan]] worked as a sculptor for the film's visual effects.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://love-it-loud.co.uk/interview-with-tom-sullivan-the-evil-dead/|title=Interview with Tom Sullivan (The Evil Dead)|website=Love-It-Loud|access-date=February 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219012020/http://love-it-loud.co.uk/interview-with-tom-sullivan-the-evil-dead/|archive-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref> [[Ken and Jim Wheat]] were tasked with rewriting [[Mick Garris]]'s draft of the screenplay after Fox turned down the duo's proposal for ''[[After Midnight (1989 film)|After Midnight]]''<ref name="AfterMidnightCF">{{cite magazine |last1=Szebin|first1=Frederick C.|last2=Biodrowski|first2=Steve|date=January 1990 |title= After Midnight|url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2020%20No%203%20%28Jan%201990%29/page/n35/mode/1up?view=theater|url-status= |magazine=[[Cinefantastique]]|location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=February 17, 2023}}</ref> The Wheat's described the initial draft of the film as "broad" and attempted to refocus the film but were unable to do so due to Fox's rushed schedule as well as receiving notes from eight different people that were oftentimes in conflict with each other.<ref name= "AfterMidnightCF"/>


==Release==
As with the first film, special makeup and creature effects were provided by Chris Walas, Inc. As opposed to Seth Brundle's diseased deterioration into "Brundlefly", in ''The Fly II'', Martin's metamorphosis is much more of a natural evolution (as a result of the fact that Martin was already born with human-insect hybrid genes instead of being accidentally fused with a fly the way his father was).
=== Home media ===
The film was released on [[VHS]] by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]], and in 2000, the film was released on [[DVD]] as a double feature with ''The Fly''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/f/fly86.shtml|title=The Fly/The Fly II: Fox Double Feature|author=D. K. Holm|date=2000|website=The DVD Journal|access-date=February 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001216031100/http://www.dvdjournal.com/reviews/f/fly86.shtml|archive-date=December 16, 2000}}</ref> The film received a standalone DVD release on October 5, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/18018/fly-ii-special-edition-the/|title=The Fly II - Special Edition|author=Ian Jane|date=October 3, 2005|website=DVD Talk|access-date=February 18, 2019}}</ref> In March 2017, Australian distribution company Via Vision Entertainment released a five-disc, [[Blu-ray#region codes|region-free]] box set containing the original 1958 ''The Fly'', its sequels ''[[Return of the Fly]]'' and ''[[Curse of the Fly]]'', the 1986 version of ''The Fly'', and ''The Fly II'' on [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-fly-blu-ray-box-set-coming-in-march|title=New 5-disc The Fly Blu-ray box set buzzing into stores this March|author=Jeff Spry|date=January 24, 2017|website=SYFY Wire|publisher=Syfy|access-date=February 18, 2019|archive-date=September 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928063056/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-fly-blu-ray-box-set-coming-in-march|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3429568/blu-ray-review-via-vision-entertainments-fly-ultimate-collection-must/|title=[Blu-ray Review] Via Vision Entertainment's 'The Fly: The Ultimate Collection' is a Must-Own!|author=Chris Coffel|date=June 7, 2017|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=February 18, 2019}}</ref>


== Reception ==
Here is a breakdown of Martin Brundle's transformation into the creature dubbed "Martinfly" by the CWI crew (behind-the-scenes information is in ''italics'').
{{expand section|date=March 2017}}


=== Box office ===
*'''STAGE 1''' (''on view in the scenes where Martin confronts Dr. Shepard and then attempts to telephone Beth Logan''): Martin's face is slightly discolored, and he's looking haggard. Worse, a bizarre cavity in his left arm has appeared, and sticky, web-like threads are being excreted from it. ''Eric Stoltz's face was subtly discolored with makeup, and a gelatin makeup appliance was affixed to his left arm. The webbing coming out of Martin's arm was made from Halloween-style decorative spider-webbing.''
''The Fly II'' grossed $20,021,322 at the US box office and a further $18,881,857 abroad, resulting in a worldwide total of $38,903,179.<ref name=boxofficemojo>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl475170305/weekend/ ''"The Fly II - Box Office"'']. ''[[Box Office Mojo]]''. Retrieved 1st July 2016</ref>
*'''STAGE 1-A''' (''on view when Martin views the various Bartok surveillance tapes, and when he subsequently escapes from the Bartok complex''): Martin is looking even more haggard, and the skin beneath his eyes is puffy. ''This is an accentuated version of the Stage 1 makeup, with gelatin eyebags added under Stoltz's eyes.''
*'''STAGE 2''' (''on view when Martin talks to Beth inside her houseboat, as well as in the deleted "Stopping for Food" scene which can be seen on the 2005 ''The Fly II'': Collector's Edition DVD''): Martin's bone structure has started to shift, and his face is rapidly becoming deformed. ''Gelatin appliances were added to Stoltz's face to give the impression that Martin's brow and cheekbones were becoming distorted.''
*'''STAGE 3''' (''on view when Martin and Beth visit Stathis Borans, as well as when they arrive at the motel''): Martin's entire head is deformed, his hairline is receding, and his voice is deepening. Also, the stringy white webbing is being excreted from his face now. ''Gelatin makeup appliances were added to Stoltz's entire head, and his voice was artificially lowered in post-production.''
*'''STAGE 4''' (''on view inside the motel, and when Bartok arrives to retrieve Martin''): Martin (his voice now even deeper) has begun to instinctively pull the webbing out of his own body and wrap it around himself. As it hardens, the webbing begins to form a cocoon. At this point, Martin's legs have been enveloped by said cocoon. Now that Martin is no longer wearing clothes, a hideous assortment of lumps and bumps can be seen on his discolored body, his face and head are even more distorted, and his teeth and ears are receding. Some of his fingers are webbed together with flaps of skin, and claws are growing on his knuckles. Martin removes his human right eye in this stage to reveal an orange insect eye behind it. ''The most complex makeup, this stage took some 12 hours to apply to Eric Stoltz, and he was required to remain immobile on the motel couch (with his legs inside the partial cocoon) all that time, as well as during the additional hours of filming that immediately followed. Body makeup and gelatin bumps were added to Stoltz's arms and torso, in addition to the makeup appliances covering his face and head.''


=== Critical response ===
Soon, Martin is fully enveloped by the cocoon (which begins as slightly transparent, with the next stage becoming opaque and iridescent). ''The scene featuring Bartok talking to the cocooned Martin involved a Martin rod puppet--transformed from the waist-down--being operated inside a transparent cocoon that was filled with water.''
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on {{nowrap|17 reviews}} with a [[weighted average]] rating of 4.57/10.<ref name="rottomatoes">{{cite web |title=The Fly II (1989) - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fly_ii |website=Rotten Tomatoes.com |publisher=Flixer |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 36 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref name="metacriticfilm">{{cite web |title=The Fly II Reviews - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-fly-ii?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c |website=Metacritic.com |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref>


[[Janet Maslin]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave the film a negative review, writing, "The only respect in which it matches Mr. Cronenberg's ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|Fly]]'' is in its sheer repulsiveness, since this film degenerates into a series of slime-ridden, glop-oozing special effects in its final half hour."<ref name="maslin89">{{cite news |last1=Maslin |first1=Janet |title=Review/Film; Another Look at Insecthood As a Possible Way of Life - The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date=11 February 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/11/movies/review-film-another-look-at-insecthood-as-a-possible-way-of-life.html |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref> Richard Harrington from ''[[The Washington Post]]'' offered the film similar criticism, calling the film's script "flat", and criticized the film's special effects as being "clumsy".<ref name="harrington89">{{cite web |last1=Harrington |first1=Richard |title='The Fly II' (R) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/theflyiirharrington_a0aaa6.htm |website=Washington Post.com |publisher=Richard Harrington |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref> Author and film critic [[Leonard Maltin]] awarded the film his lowest rating, calling the film "Alternately dull and messy but mostly dull".<ref name="Maltin2015">{{cite book|author=Leonard Maltin|title=Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965: Third Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fttJBgAAQBAJ|date=29 September 2015|publisher=Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-698-19729-9|page=478}}</ref> David Hughes from ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' awarded the film 3/5 stars, writing, "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."<ref name="hughes2000">{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=David |title=The Fly II Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/fly-ii/review/ |website=Empire Online.com |date=January 2000 |publisher=David Hughes |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref> Ryan Lambie of [[Den of Geek]] wrote that while the film "wasn't particularly clever, ... as an exercise in pure, claret-stained entertainment, it deserves far more credit than it frequently receives".<ref name=denofgeek />
After a brief gestation period, the final "Martinfly" creature is revealed when it bursts out of the cocoon and goes on a rampage around the Bartok complex. The iridescent creature has four arms (each of which features two large, clawed digits), two reverse-jointed legs, and its body is covered with insect hairs. Martinfly is also tall and slender, with a segmented torso. Its head has piercing, orange insect eyes (with pupils), distorted nostrils, and two flexible mandibles with sharp teeth covering a mouth full of still more teeth. The interior of the creature's mouth contains a pseudo-proboscis, which can spray corrosive enzymes at high velocity. Whereas the Brundlefly creature in the first film was deformed and sickly, Martinfly is very strong, very fast, and very deadly. ''The final Martinfly creature was created as a series of cable-controlled and rod-operated puppets.''


==Response==
==Sequel==
In July 1993, it was reported that development had begun on ''The Fly III'' with [[Richard Jefferies (screenwriter)|Richard Jefferies]] writing the screenplay that would feature the return of [[Geena Davis]]' character Veronica "Ronnie" Quaife for [[List of Brooksfilms productions|Brooksfilms]] and [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]].<ref name="FlyIII">{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/davis-harlin-stay-attached-to-their-work-romance-108867/ |title= Davis, Harlin stay attached to their work, romance |publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=January 2, 2025|archive-date=January 2, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250102202457/https://variety.com/1993/film/news/davis-harlin-stay-attached-to-their-work-romance-108867/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[Mel Brooks]], Davis was then one who initiated the project including developing the story and serving as a producer with production slated to begin in Fall of that year.<ref name="FlyIII" /> The film would've shifted focus from Davis' character of Ronnie focusing instead on the mutated twins she'd conceived with Seth Brundle from the first film.<ref name="FlyIII" /> The film ultimately never came to be.


==Other media==
''The Fly II'' fared well in the box office compared with the first film, but is widely regarded as inferior by many critics. Many believe that Walas (who was the special effects engineer for the Oscar-winning make-up and creature effects in the first film) set out to exploit the success of the original by relying on excessive gore and violence at the expense of good storytelling. However, it is appreciated by many fans of the horror genre of films for its great visual impact, if nothing more. For his part, Walas has himself stated that the film was designed to be much more of a traditional (albeit gory) monster movie than Cronenberg's horror / tragic love film.
=== Comic books ===
Beginning in March 2015, [[IDW Publishing]] released a five-issue comic book miniseries titled ''The Fly: Outbreak'', written by Brandon Seifert.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/david-cronenberg-fly-movie-comic-book-sequel/|title=David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' Gets a Comic Book Sequel|last=Orange|first=Alan|work=MovieWeb|date=December 17, 2014|access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref>


==Trivia==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}
*The film is somewhat of a remake of 1959's ''[[Return of the Fly]]'', as it features some plot similarities, as well as a happy ending for the main characters.


== External links ==
* The first videotape of Seth Brundle is actually part of a deleted scene from the first film (with [[Geena Davis]]' dialogue redubbed by [[Saffron Henderson]], who played Veronica Quaife at the beginning of the sequel).
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0097368}}
* {{mojo title|fly2}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|fly_ii}}


*The film received a certain amount of backlash regarding the horrible 'mutant' dog, in particular, the scene where Martin mercifully euthanizes the dog, which is hideously deformed and kept in a large observation room. Many viewers were disturbed by the dog's appearance and sad fate.

* [[Geena Davis]] was asked to return to play Veronica Quaife, but she said she couldn't cope with another birth scene like the one in the previous film, so she declined.

* [[Daphne Zuniga]] was suggested by executive producer Mel Brooks to play the part of Beth Logan after working with her on ''[[Spaceballs]]'' (1987).

*The movie contains a subtle reference to David Cronenberg, writer-director of the previous movie. In an early scene where Martin sneaks out of his room to explore the Bartok Industries facility, a guard is seen asleep at his post, and resting on the desk in front of him is a copy of [[The Shape of Rage]], a book which discusses the films of David Cronenberg (and the book's cover features a photo of Cronenberg himself).

* [[John Getz]] shaved his beard off after the first film, and so wore a false one.

* The script for ''The Fly II'' explained that Borans lived in such a fancy home because he'd taken [[hush money]] from Bartok (and had been told that Brundle's baby died in childbirth along with Veronica), but this was never mentioned on-screen.

* In an early treatment for ''The Fly II'', it was revealed that the Telepods were not working because [[Stathis Borans]] had taken the computer's information storage discs (which contained the Telepods' programming) before Bartok took possession of the pods. However, this detail was dropped from the final film, and it is left unclear as to why the Telepods suddenly aren't working at the beginning of the sequel.

* The scene of a character's head being crushed by an elevator aroused some controversy with the MPAA. They originally gave the film an "X" rating due to its graphic nature. Ultimately Chris Walas was able to gain a more audience friendly "R" rating after reediting the sequence.

==Deleted Scenes==
While Martin and Beth are on their way to visit Stathis Borans, they stop to get some fast food. While Beth is inside getting refreshments, a car full of young baseball players pulls up next to him. Seeing the deformed Martin, they begin to taunt him. Martin proceeds to violently vomit digestive fluid towards the car, dissolving one of the windows. Beth quickly gets in the car and drives away. The coach in charge of the children, returning from the establishment to find his car window partly digested, shouts, "What the hell have you idiots done now?" before throwing down a tray of food and soda and hurling his hat at the children.
The other deleted scene available on DVD is an unused epilogue (which director Walas strongly lobbied against), which features Beth and Martin sitting by Beth's houseboat. Beth asks Martin how he feels. He stares back at her and replies, "Better. Much better."

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0097368|title=The Fly II}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=fly_II|title=The Fly II}}
* {{mojo title|id=fly2|title=The Fly II}}
{{The Fly}}
{{The Fly}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Fly 1989}}
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[[Category:Films with screenplays by Frank Darabont]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Mick Garris]]
[[Category:The Fly (franchise)]]
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[[Category:1980s American films]]
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Latest revision as of 16:28, 3 January 2025

The Fly II
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChris Walas
Screenplay by
Based onCharacters
by George Langelaan
Produced bySteven-Charles Jaffe
Starring
CinematographyRobin Vidgeon
Edited bySean Barton
Music byChristopher Young
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • February 10, 1989 (1989-02-10)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12.5 million[1]
Box office$38.9 million[2]

The Fly II is a 1989 American science fiction horror film directed by Chris Walas. The film stars Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga, and is a sequel to the 1986 film The Fly, itself a remake of the 1958 film of the same name. Stoltz's character in this sequel is the adult son of Veronica Quaife and Seth Brundle, a scientist who became a human-fly hybrid as a result of an experiment gone awry, played by Jeff Goldblum in the 1986 remake. With the exception of footage of Goldblum from the first film, John Getz was the only actor to reprise his role, with another actress filling the Geena Davis role as Quaife in the opening birth scene. Unlike the previous film, this film received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office.

Plot

[edit]

Several months after the events of The Fly, Veronica Quaife gives birth to a larval sac and dies. The sac splits open to reveal a seemingly normal baby boy. Anton Bartok, the owner of the company that financed Seth Brundle's teleportation experiments, adopts the child and names him Martin. Martin grows up in a clinical environment. His physical and mental maturity is highly accelerated, and he possesses a genius-level intellect, incredible reflexes, and no need for sleep. He knows he is aging faster than a normal human, but is unaware of the true cause, having been told his father died from the same rapid aging disease.

At age three, Martin has the physique of a 10-year-old and frequently sneaks around to explore the Bartok complex. He finds a room containing laboratory animals and befriends a dog. The next night, he brings it food but finds it missing. He enters an observation booth overlooking Bay 17. There, scientists have reassembled Brundle's Telepods, but have been unable to duplicate the programming that enabled them to teleport living subjects. An attempt to teleport the dog fails, leaving it horribly deformed. It maims one of the scientists, horrifying Martin. Two years later, Martin's body has matured to that of a 25-year-old. On his fifth birthday, Bartok presents Martin with a bungalow on the Bartok facility's property and offers Martin the job of repairing his father's Telepods. When Martin is uneasy about the proposition, Bartok shows him Veronica Quaife's videotapes, which documented Seth Brundle's progress with the Telepods. Seeing his father describe how the Telepods ostensibly improved and energized his body, Martin accepts Bartok's proposal.

As he works on the Telepods, Martin befriends an employee, Beth Logan. Beth invites Martin to a party at the specimens division, where he learns that the mutated dog is still kept alive and studied. Thinking Beth is aware of the dog's imprisonment, Martin argues with her, leaves the party, and goes to the animal's holding pen. The deformed dog, in terrible pain, still remembers Martin, and he tearfully euthanizes it with chloroform. Martin reconciles with Beth and arrives at his father's revelation and realizes the Telepods' computer needs to analyze living flesh. Martin shows Beth his perfected Telepods by teleporting a kitten without harm. They become lovers, but Martin shows signs of his eventual mutation into a human-fly hybrid. Martin devises a potential cure for his condition, which involves swapping out his mutated genes for healthy human genes. Martin shelves this idea when he realizes the other person would be subject to a grotesque genetic disfigurement.

Eventually, Martin learns that Bartok has hidden cameras in his bungalow. Martin breaks into Bartok's records room, where he learns of his father's true fate. Bartok confronts Martin and explains that he is aware of and has been waiting for his inevitable mutation. Bartok reveals his plan to use Martin's body and the Telepods' potential for genetic manipulation for profit. Martin's insect genes fully awaken and his transformation into a human-insect hybrid begins, and he escapes from Bartok Industries. Bartok is unable to use the Telepods, as they are locked by a password. Martin also installed a computer virus which will erase the Telepods' programming if the wrong password is entered. Bartok orders a search for Martin.

Martin goes to Beth and explains the situation, and the two flee. They visit Veronica Quaife's old confidant, Stathis Borans, now a bitter, reclusive drunk after Veronica's death, who confirms for Martin that the Telepods are his only chance for a cure. They keep running, but Martin's physical and emotional changes become too much for Beth to handle, and she eventually surrenders them both to Bartok. Without revealing the password, Martin becomes enveloped in a cocoon. Bartok interrogates Beth for the password. Shortly after, the fully transformed Martin emerges from his cocoon and breaks into Bay 17. He grabs Bartok, forces him to type in the password, "Dad", and drags Bartok and himself into a Telepod. Martin gestures Beth to activate the gene-swapping sequence and she complies. Martin is restored to a fully human form, and Bartok is transformed into a deformed monstrosity.

Inside the dog's former enclosure, the Bartok creature crawls towards a food bowl filled with slops, and sees a single housefly sitting on its edge.

Cast

[edit]

In addition, Saffron Henderson briefly appears as Veronica Quaife, the role played by Geena Davis in the original film while archive footage of Jeff Goldblum, uncredited, shows him in the Seth Brundle role from the original film.

Production

[edit]

Geena Davis, who played Veronica Quaife in the first film, was replaced by Saffron Henderson for the sequel, as Davis refused to reprise her role due to her character's death in the first act disallowing the opportunity for character development.[3][4] Keanu Reeves was offered the role of Brundle but turned it down as he disliked the script.[5] Josh Brolin was passed after a failed audition for the role.[6][7] The Fly II is an early entry in the filmography of Frank Darabont, who co-wrote the screenplay.[3] Tom Sullivan worked as a sculptor for the film's visual effects.[8] Ken and Jim Wheat were tasked with rewriting Mick Garris's draft of the screenplay after Fox turned down the duo's proposal for After Midnight[9] The Wheat's described the initial draft of the film as "broad" and attempted to refocus the film but were unable to do so due to Fox's rushed schedule as well as receiving notes from eight different people that were oftentimes in conflict with each other.[9]

Release

[edit]

Home media

[edit]

The film was released on VHS by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and in 2000, the film was released on DVD as a double feature with The Fly.[10] The film received a standalone DVD release on October 5, 2004.[11] In March 2017, Australian distribution company Via Vision Entertainment released a five-disc, region-free box set containing the original 1958 The Fly, its sequels Return of the Fly and Curse of the Fly, the 1986 version of The Fly, and The Fly II on Blu-ray.[12][13]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

The Fly II grossed $20,021,322 at the US box office and a further $18,881,857 abroad, resulting in a worldwide total of $38,903,179.[2]

Critical response

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on 17 reviews with a weighted average rating of 4.57/10.[14] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 36 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[15]

Janet Maslin from The New York Times gave the film a negative review, writing, "The only respect in which it matches Mr. Cronenberg's Fly is in its sheer repulsiveness, since this film degenerates into a series of slime-ridden, glop-oozing special effects in its final half hour."[16] Richard Harrington from The Washington Post offered the film similar criticism, calling the film's script "flat", and criticized the film's special effects as being "clumsy".[17] Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film his lowest rating, calling the film "Alternately dull and messy but mostly dull".[18] David Hughes from Empire awarded the film 3/5 stars, writing, "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."[19] Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek wrote that while the film "wasn't particularly clever, ... as an exercise in pure, claret-stained entertainment, it deserves far more credit than it frequently receives".[3]

Sequel

[edit]

In July 1993, it was reported that development had begun on The Fly III with Richard Jefferies writing the screenplay that would feature the return of Geena Davis' character Veronica "Ronnie" Quaife for Brooksfilms and 20th Century Fox.[20] According to Mel Brooks, Davis was then one who initiated the project including developing the story and serving as a producer with production slated to begin in Fall of that year.[20] The film would've shifted focus from Davis' character of Ronnie focusing instead on the mutated twins she'd conceived with Seth Brundle from the first film.[20] The film ultimately never came to be.

Other media

[edit]

Comic books

[edit]

Beginning in March 2015, IDW Publishing released a five-issue comic book miniseries titled The Fly: Outbreak, written by Brandon Seifert.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Fly II (1989)". AFI. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "The Fly II - Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1st July 2016
  3. ^ a b c Ryan Lambie (January 21, 2013). "Looking back at The Fly II". Den of Geek. Dennis Publisher. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Fly II - Bloody Disgusting". Bloody Disgusting. May 24, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  5. ^ "The Young and the Restless :: WINM :: Keanu Reeves Articles & Interviews Archive".
  6. ^ Ewing, Jeff (8 April 2022). "Josh Brolin Had A Ridiculous Failed Audition For The Fly 2". SlashFilm. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  7. ^ "Josh Brolin interview at Hot Ones". YouTube. 7 April 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  8. ^ "Interview with Tom Sullivan (The Evil Dead)". Love-It-Loud. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Szebin, Frederick C.; Biodrowski, Steve (January 1990). "After Midnight". Cinefantastique. Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  10. ^ D. K. Holm (2000). "The Fly/The Fly II: Fox Double Feature". The DVD Journal. Archived from the original on December 16, 2000. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  11. ^ Ian Jane (October 3, 2005). "The Fly II - Special Edition". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  12. ^ Jeff Spry (January 24, 2017). "New 5-disc The Fly Blu-ray box set buzzing into stores this March". SYFY Wire. Syfy. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  13. ^ Chris Coffel (June 7, 2017). "[Blu-ray Review] Via Vision Entertainment's 'The Fly: The Ultimate Collection' is a Must-Own!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  14. ^ "The Fly II (1989) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  15. ^ "The Fly II Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Metacritic. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  16. ^ Maslin, Janet (11 February 1989). "Review/Film; Another Look at Insecthood As a Possible Way of Life - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  17. ^ Harrington, Richard. "'The Fly II' (R)". Washington Post.com. Richard Harrington. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  18. ^ Leonard Maltin (29 September 2015). Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965: Third Edition. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-698-19729-9.
  19. ^ Hughes, David (January 2000). "The Fly II Review". Empire Online.com. David Hughes. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  20. ^ a b c "Davis, Harlin stay attached to their work, romance". Variety. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  21. ^ Orange, Alan (December 17, 2014). "David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' Gets a Comic Book Sequel". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
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