FX2: ilusiones mortales

F/X 2 turned out to be a better sequel that I was expecting, as a result of what I had heard people say about it over the years. I was glad to see Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy share more scenes together this time around (they only had one in the first film), and I was also surprised that the story was pretty good, in the same league as the first. Sure, some parts were predictable (nearly every film has got some predictability to it), but for the most part, it was nicely-paced with some good suspense and mystery. I was hoping for a better usage of special effects by the characters (after all, the series is called F/X), but Brown pretty much just MacGyvers his way through the film, especially in the supermarket sequence, one of the film's standout scenes. My personal favorite was the scene in Brown's apartment, where he uses an animatronic remote-controlled clown to handle an assassin (who, like Cliff DeYoung in the first film, mysteriously vanishes from the movie without a trace), and the battle at the mansion at the end of the film is pretty exciting, with Brown making use of a bunch of effects equipment to stop the bad guys. All-in-all, a pretty decent sequel that has me torn between which of the two films I like more. I really can't decide. I know it's been eleven years, and since this one apparently didn't perform as well at the box office as the first one did, I doubt we'll ever see an F/X 3, but I wouldn't mind seeing it.

The original F/X was a moderately successful movie. It certainly wasn't anything great but it did have unmistakable quirkiness in regards to how it approached the action genre. This sequel took five years to follow it, which does seem quite slow by the standards of the day. It teamed up the duo of Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy again, the former playing the lead character, special effects artist Rollie Tyler.

The film opens once again with another amusing opening that turns out to be a film-within-a-film, featuring a transvestite alien lunatic. The story kicks into gear when Rollie's police detective friend is killed on a sting he was roped into. He has evidence of foul play though, so he joins forces with his private investigator buddy to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. Truthfully, the story is not very good and ultimately is only there to serve as a means to connect various action and jovial banter scenes together. In fairness, like the first movie, there are some entertainingly different action scenes to enjoy. Especially good was the robot clown fight, which was a refreshingly different way to approach an action movie punch up; also amusing was the shop sequence where the bad guy is finally dispatched when he has his head mechanically cellophaned like a supermarket chicken! But all-in-all, irrespective of these occasional original moments, F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion is nothing to get too excited about. It's a passably entertaining action flick and no more really.

F/X2 was actually a good sequel. But I think that's because it is very much like the first movie. And, F/X itself was a great movie because of the idea of a special effects artist trying to get himself out of a mess. Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is now a toy inventor, having retired from the special effects business. His girlfriend's ex-husband, a cop named Mike, employ's Rollie's special effects expertise to set up a sting operation. But, something goes foul and the cop winds up dead. Like F/X 2, Rollie becomes once again involved with crooked cops and has to solve the whodunnit. And, part of what made the first movie great, too, was Brian Dennehy as detective Leo McCarthy, who Rollie Tyler calls on for help.

As far as the story goes, it involves a bigger scale of corruption in the law enforcement circle, but the movie is just as enjoyable. And, you still get to see Rollie Tyler using his special effects abilities, which I always thought was the best part of the first one. If you have seen the first F/X, it's probably very likely you'll like the second one. It's one of the few movies I have seen where I can say that the sequel was pretty good.

The glaring shortcoming of F/X 2 is that the main thrust of the plot, i.e. the what and why of the baddies, is not revealed until an hour or so into the film. At 109 minutes, that's well over half-way. Certainly the point was to pop our main character, Rollie Tyler (reprised by Bryan Brown from the first movie), into a life and death situation beyond his comprehension, and not until several clues are followed revealed that he (and we) find out what these circumstances are.

Briefly, Rollie, the Australian special effects wizard, is hired again by the FBI to aid in cornering a serial killer. However, the plan goes awry when the FBI man who was supposed to stop the suspect in his tracks is killed by another unknown killer. Rollie finds himself also caught in a web of intrigue. And of course, when he is on the verge of getting snuffed out, Dennehy as Leo McCarthy pops in to save his ass. Not a bad opening, all things considered.

Finally, Leo uncovers the back story, which I won't reveal, lest I be accused of "giving it away" as they say. However, the back story is described almost offhandedly, without even a flashback. Unfortunately, the downside is that, with very little screen time left, neither the history of what's behind the bad guys' motivations nor the bad guys themselves are ever fully developed. I found myself wanting to know more about the circumstances surrounding this back story, the what and the why. Of course, with these kinds of movies, a lot of screen time must be devoted to the baddies chasing the innocent by-standers in shopping malls or in car chases. I guess it's a Hollywood law that American filmmakers must devote a specified minimum amount of time to choreographed running around and shooting so they can legitimately call their project an "action movie".

Still the film has its entertainment value. There is a strange chemistry that exists between Brian Dennehy (reprising his role has Leo McCarthy) and Bryan Brown, and again I wish that had been milked for all its worth. Of course, the most entertaining sequence, like the first installment, is the use of movie effects to thwart the bad guys, which works very well. Maybe I appreciated it as a breath of fresh air from the typical cat and mouse chase with automatic weapons that typically climaxes most of these kinds of films.

Still very much in the style of a 1980's action movie, although this was 1991, with the typical rock songs spliced in for good measure. With the exception of the use of the special effects against the baddies at the finale, story-wise it is really the equivalent of a two-part episode of "Simon and Simon" with a larger budget.

This agreeable follow-up packs intrigue , fast pace , action , suspense and lots of amusement . F/X was a great movie because of the idea of a special effects artist attempting to get himself out of a mess . This followup is also good but inferior to original . It deals with F/X man Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) as expert craftsman , nowadays he is a toymaker and settles a peaceful life . A Police agent , asks Rollie to help him to make a setup for chase a psycho-killer . As Rollie accepts because the cop is the ex-husband (Tom Mason ) of his new girlfriend (Rachel Ticotin) and he carries out the execution the phony work . The operation was going well when allegedly another murderer kills the cop . When corrupt agents double cross him on the staging the fake assassination Rollie finds himself embroiled in a deadly cover-up and he uses his special effects to trap the corrupt agents . Obviously a chief police is involved with the death , but when the things get worse Rollie calls on Leo MacCarthy (Brian Dennehy ) , confronting both of them a corrupt system . The whiz Rollie and Leo team up once more to use their special effects and advanced technology to find those responsible for the death of the cop . Rollie must use his movie magic and wits to discover the true guilty , survive and he becomes involved a mess that includes Mafia , Vatican and some golden medallions . As far as the story goes , it involves a bigger scale of corruption in the law enforcement circle .

Entertaining but ordinary 1990's-type action thriller that has some nice parts as is fast-paced , well acted , engaging and thrilling film . It has ex-Inspector Dennehy and FX wizard Brown in perfect form , developing an enjoyable relationship between the crime-busting buddies . Furthermore, good secondaries as Rachel Ticotin , Kevin J O'Connor , Joanna Gleason , Philip Bosco , all of them make fine performances . Some moments were predictable , but for the most part , it was finely-paced with action scenes efficiently handed and some good intrigue and mystery . There are some very exciting scenes as well as some ingenious special effects, including the final setup that resolves prominently the intrigue . The cinematography by Victor J. Kemper and editing are functional . Decent musical score fitting to action by Lalo Schifrin though excessive use of synthesizer . Action is pretty nicely done and fast moving with some engaging gimmickry provided by means of Animatronics and a telemetry suit , enabling the wearer to control a clown's movements via remote control that includes piloting a helicopter . The motion picture is professionally directed by Richard Franklin (Road games , Psycho II, Patrick). This is an acceptable if somewhat belated following to surprise hit realized in 1986 that was a Sleeper titled ¨FX , Murder by illusion¨ , the sequel ¨FX2¨ however, the entire thing is nowhere near as exciting and interesting . It's followed followed by an amiable TV series .