This is another of the countless sequels where it is evident that those who made it simply did not "get" what made the movie special. The tactical use of FX is still there, to an extent, but they try so hard to outdo the original, and it just winds up as a series of gags, most of them seeming like far more effort than they're worth, which is a backwards version of the minimalistic and incredibly effective use in #1. They're not that creative or entertaining this time around. Tyler now works as a toy-maker, although the only example of his craft that we see is a man-size sorta-robotic clown-doll, with the words "I will be extremely convenient" written all over it. He is yet again asked to help with his skills, and after initially declining, and... nothing else happening, he says "why not"(literally), since otherwise, there'd be no flick(and boy, that would be a shame). Dennehy returns, and is good as he always is, and frankly, his answering machine is probably the funniest bit in this entire thing. The humor is about decent. This has a bigger, complex plot. The cinematography and editing are average. Action is pretty nicely done. This does have suspense, however, the entire thing is nowhere near as engaging or thrilling. The director has only done one other thing that I'd even heard of at all, Psycho II, and that single fact sums it up so perfectly(though that one was considerably worse), I almost don't want to add anything to it. All I'll say is the following: They are both completely unnecessary 2nd entries in a series that never demanded such, and the true fans of either franchise ought to realize that they are ultimately not up to the quality level. I think it says a lot that I re-watched both this and the first after several years, and while I was recognizing almost everything about the latter as I saw it, I had nearly forgotten the content of this one. The DVD holds a theatrical trailer, potentially spoiler-filled. I recommend this only to those who want something like what they got before, and don't mind settling, trading down. 6/10
Review of F/X2
