Post by Quorthon on May 28, 2008 14:55:24 GMT -5
The Quickshot Collection XIII: It’s Alive II & III
Only two this time, folks. I already did a "normal" review of the original film and decided not to have an "odd man out" in this calamity. Plus, they're a bit longer than normal Quickshots. Enjoy!
It’s Alive II: It Lives Again
1978
R
Well, here we go again! The sequel to It’s Alive once again brings us the somewhat face-to-face with the horrible little mutant killer babies. That’s a misleading title, by the way, because “it” really doesn’t live again. Rather, we have new killer babies. This time, rather than one mutant killer baby, we have three mutant killer babies. Essentially, the father from the previous film now goes around attempting to help couples whose yet-unborn babies are showing all the symptoms of being the deranged mutant killers. This leads us to a house in the country where “good” scientists are raising and studying the babies. Until, of course, the authorities track them down and try to kill the babies, and all hell breaks loose.
Once again, taking place on the West Coast, we have the struggle of the parents as they are torn on accepting their mutant offspring or killing it off. Like the first movie, the babies are hardly ever seen and the best thing we get from them is the truly unnerving screeches and growls that they emit. There is ever-so-slightly more blood this time around, but not much and the terror and atmosphere are slightly better. However, the overall feel of the film is still very bland and the acting, once again, is rather lifeless and dry. The music is forgettable and the atmosphere is barely improved over the first film. Much better sets, and there is still an attempt made to convey the confused and disgruntled emotional states of the parents and scientists. Good effort all around, dry delivery. Oy!
This is the second film now, and by now, we ought to be seeing these things a little bit more, right? I mean, second Critters film drastically upped the number of ankle-biters from the first film and let us see a helluva lot more of them, right? Why not give us that treatment here? Alas, the special effects are fairly average and our views of the babies is woefully limited. It only barely earns that “R” rating with very minimal gore and violence, and some swearing. It all wraps up in a similar bleak manner as the first film. Primary Detective from the first film reprises his role as well. It does well in continuing the story from the first film and expanding on it, but is too similar in a lot of ways. Mildly follows a few horror sequel “standard rules,” such as higher body count, better gore, etc. Only for the more hardcore horror fans out there.
5/10
It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive
1987
R
Stupid title aside, this film follows once again in the un-acclaimed mutant killer baby movie series. This film brings the series to the East Coast for the first time bounding from New York City to an island supposedly around the Caribbean to a climax in Florida. Yippee! Once again, we have a father, this time a ruined actor, defending his child—though he is at first deathly afraid of the thing. Apparently, there are a lot of these kind of babies popping up, er, out. Eventually, a consensus is made to simply abandon the babies on some desert island in the Atlantic. Five years later, bad tidings are afoot on the island and a team of scientists go to investigate, aided by the forlorn actor father who is humorous in his now somewhat-crazy demeanor. The notorious Karen Black plays his ex-wife and mother of their grotesque offspring.
This film, surprisingly, is better than the first two—just barely. This is surprising because the last time I watched it (as a teenager) I felt it was much worse. Truth be told, it’s not a very good movie, but still mildly improved over the first two. For instance, the atmosphere is much better—however, it has become somewhat “standard 80’s horror” fare. The acting remains dry overall (sigh), but though half-assed in his delivery, the main protagonist, the beleaguered father, is often pretty amusing and he has some interesting dialog that help carry along the film. He does pretty well playing a man who’s mental state has apparently “snapped.” Karen Black, as usual, looks just frightening, though her acting is a bit better than I expected. Once again, the Detective from the first two films makes a return, though nonchalantly appearing on the opposite side of America from his previous misadventures. He and the pitiful father actually seem to have chemistry—the first time you’ll see chemistry of any kind in one of these films.
The high point here is, of course, that we finally get to see the mutant babies. Both as “grown ups” at whopping five years old (dudes in ugly costumes) and as—yes! Stop-motion animated mutant babies. Believe it or not, there is a shot of one of the mutant babies behind a leafy plant that I’m almost positive appeared in at least one of the previous films! This time, we get to learn that the horrible mutants are telepathic and use the pathetic father to get back to mainland Florida where very mild chaos ensues! Alas while finally privy to the grotesque appearance of the mutants, it doesn’t look all that good and doesn’t quite terrify. Pay close attention to see a normal-looking female breast from on mutant “baby” as it feeds it’s own mutant baby. Also, we get to witness no fewer than six (6) police officers slowly fall down and gently roll off a barely-sloping rooftop to their deaths. The film ends as monster films do, and while the overall quality seems to have been upped a bit, so too was the immense cheesiness of these films. For the horror hardcore only. This gets a slightly higher score for finally clearly showing us the little monsters and for it being a bit more fun to watch than the previous, somewhat dryer outings.
6/10
Only two this time, folks. I already did a "normal" review of the original film and decided not to have an "odd man out" in this calamity. Plus, they're a bit longer than normal Quickshots. Enjoy!
It’s Alive II: It Lives Again
1978
R
Well, here we go again! The sequel to It’s Alive once again brings us the somewhat face-to-face with the horrible little mutant killer babies. That’s a misleading title, by the way, because “it” really doesn’t live again. Rather, we have new killer babies. This time, rather than one mutant killer baby, we have three mutant killer babies. Essentially, the father from the previous film now goes around attempting to help couples whose yet-unborn babies are showing all the symptoms of being the deranged mutant killers. This leads us to a house in the country where “good” scientists are raising and studying the babies. Until, of course, the authorities track them down and try to kill the babies, and all hell breaks loose.
Once again, taking place on the West Coast, we have the struggle of the parents as they are torn on accepting their mutant offspring or killing it off. Like the first movie, the babies are hardly ever seen and the best thing we get from them is the truly unnerving screeches and growls that they emit. There is ever-so-slightly more blood this time around, but not much and the terror and atmosphere are slightly better. However, the overall feel of the film is still very bland and the acting, once again, is rather lifeless and dry. The music is forgettable and the atmosphere is barely improved over the first film. Much better sets, and there is still an attempt made to convey the confused and disgruntled emotional states of the parents and scientists. Good effort all around, dry delivery. Oy!
This is the second film now, and by now, we ought to be seeing these things a little bit more, right? I mean, second Critters film drastically upped the number of ankle-biters from the first film and let us see a helluva lot more of them, right? Why not give us that treatment here? Alas, the special effects are fairly average and our views of the babies is woefully limited. It only barely earns that “R” rating with very minimal gore and violence, and some swearing. It all wraps up in a similar bleak manner as the first film. Primary Detective from the first film reprises his role as well. It does well in continuing the story from the first film and expanding on it, but is too similar in a lot of ways. Mildly follows a few horror sequel “standard rules,” such as higher body count, better gore, etc. Only for the more hardcore horror fans out there.
5/10
It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive
1987
R
Stupid title aside, this film follows once again in the un-acclaimed mutant killer baby movie series. This film brings the series to the East Coast for the first time bounding from New York City to an island supposedly around the Caribbean to a climax in Florida. Yippee! Once again, we have a father, this time a ruined actor, defending his child—though he is at first deathly afraid of the thing. Apparently, there are a lot of these kind of babies popping up, er, out. Eventually, a consensus is made to simply abandon the babies on some desert island in the Atlantic. Five years later, bad tidings are afoot on the island and a team of scientists go to investigate, aided by the forlorn actor father who is humorous in his now somewhat-crazy demeanor. The notorious Karen Black plays his ex-wife and mother of their grotesque offspring.
This film, surprisingly, is better than the first two—just barely. This is surprising because the last time I watched it (as a teenager) I felt it was much worse. Truth be told, it’s not a very good movie, but still mildly improved over the first two. For instance, the atmosphere is much better—however, it has become somewhat “standard 80’s horror” fare. The acting remains dry overall (sigh), but though half-assed in his delivery, the main protagonist, the beleaguered father, is often pretty amusing and he has some interesting dialog that help carry along the film. He does pretty well playing a man who’s mental state has apparently “snapped.” Karen Black, as usual, looks just frightening, though her acting is a bit better than I expected. Once again, the Detective from the first two films makes a return, though nonchalantly appearing on the opposite side of America from his previous misadventures. He and the pitiful father actually seem to have chemistry—the first time you’ll see chemistry of any kind in one of these films.
The high point here is, of course, that we finally get to see the mutant babies. Both as “grown ups” at whopping five years old (dudes in ugly costumes) and as—yes! Stop-motion animated mutant babies. Believe it or not, there is a shot of one of the mutant babies behind a leafy plant that I’m almost positive appeared in at least one of the previous films! This time, we get to learn that the horrible mutants are telepathic and use the pathetic father to get back to mainland Florida where very mild chaos ensues! Alas while finally privy to the grotesque appearance of the mutants, it doesn’t look all that good and doesn’t quite terrify. Pay close attention to see a normal-looking female breast from on mutant “baby” as it feeds it’s own mutant baby. Also, we get to witness no fewer than six (6) police officers slowly fall down and gently roll off a barely-sloping rooftop to their deaths. The film ends as monster films do, and while the overall quality seems to have been upped a bit, so too was the immense cheesiness of these films. For the horror hardcore only. This gets a slightly higher score for finally clearly showing us the little monsters and for it being a bit more fun to watch than the previous, somewhat dryer outings.
6/10
