Class of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown

This sequel to the 1986 cult classic "Class of Nuke 'Em High" is a rather disappointing film. The action takes place at the Tromaville Institute of Technology or T. I. T. For short. College newspaper reporter Roger Smith (Brick Bronsky) strikes out with all the ladies. He volunteers for a sexual experiment to score and a get a nice $8.00. Roger falls in love with Victoria, a subhuman being that is part of the experiment. The subhumans have lips in their navel. When Roger discovers this he is put off, but his love for Victoria reigns supreme.

There is a problem with the subhumans eventually melting down. Roger must find a way to save his love before she turns into a big pile of goo.

There are some cool things about this sequel like Tromie the giant mutant squirrel, but Class of Nuke 'Em High II is just an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the original film. Although Troma has produced some real duds, they've also made some the best B horror movies too. For hardcore fans only! If you want to watch some good sequels to Class of Nuke 'Em High skip straight to Return to Nuke 'Em High Volumes 1 and 2.

Class of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown (1991)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

The Troma school from the first nuclear disaster has been cleaned up and now it has been turned into a college. Wannabe reporter Roger Smith (Brick Bronsky) covers the story of what happens to the school that turned it back into a nuclear disaster as well as a giant mutant squirrel that breaks loose.

I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of the original movie but there's no question that it's a lot better than this sequel. I'm sure Troma die-hards are going to love whatever they put out but to me this sequel is just a complete waste of time. You'll notice during the opening credits that there were six people credited with the screenplay but perhaps a seventh pair of hands would have helped things.

The first film, like Troma's THE TOXIC AVENGER, was just an offensive, gory and over-the-top film that mixed horror and comedy. Say what you want about Troma's style but these early politically incorrect films were a lot of fun. It seems that the sequels to THE TOXIC AVENGER and CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH were greeted with a lot of hate because they weren't as outrageous. In the years since there release it seems to be that Troma had to deliver a more "R-rated" film and that's what happened.

With that being said, there are all sorts of problems here including the film just being a complete mess and it really does seem like they had no idea what they wanted to do with the picture so they basically took the first film and re-made it but without the laughs and humor. The film features all the bad acting and bad special effects that you'd expect from Troma but it's just not funny or entertaining this time out.

What was really awful was the non-stop narration, which was just annoying after a while. It also didn't help that the characters were all forgettable and that includes the giant squirrel.

I love the original Class.... and also love the original Toxic Avenger. It's a fine line, but but they crossed it and went to cheesy and annoying. The lead is VERY annoying as is most of this movie. The Toxie sequels are kind of on the same lines as this...but back on track now with Toxie 4. I wish they'd do a sequel to Class like they did with Toxie 4 and disregard the crap fest sequels. Again there's a fine line between cheesy fun and annoying crap. This is annoying crap. Lloyd hit the mark again with Toxie 4, and I wish he'd do Class the same justice!! He can do it, I have faith! The second and third of this series are no fun stinkers. There's all the stapled of great exploitation here, but it's just not fun. Lloyd please make this right!!!

My review was written in March 1991 after watching the movie on video cassette.

Troma will have a hard time booking this unwarranted sequel, an incoherent mess that plays more like a trailer than a feature. Curiosity seekers in video stores represent the target audience.

Press kit ludicrously credits director Eric Louzil with discovering Kevin Costner. Actually he held back the thesp's career by hiring him for a couple of exploitation films a decade ago. Louzil demonstrates here that he has no feel for satire or comedy, absolute prerequisites for a Troma pic. Instead, most scenes consist of people running around aimlessly.

Beefcake star Brick Bronsky narrates a film-long flashback, a necessity given the lack of exposition in the live action. He's writing for the campus paper at Tromaville Institute of Technology, a combination college/nuclear power plant. Mad scientist Prof. Holt (attractive Lisa Gaye wearing piled up hairdo exaggerated from John Waters' "Hairspray") has created a race of drone subhumanoid workers, including beautiful Victoria (Leesa Rowland).

Unfortunately, they are subject to an ailment that causes them to melt into green goo. While Holt is working on the antidote, a squirrel turns into a Godzilla-type monster and stomps on some obvious miniatures.

An unfunny running gag insistas on the subhumanoids having mouths where their belly buttons should be. This is an excuse for plenty of topless footage of starlets, including porn star Trinity Loren. Production is so sloppy that a scene of bald subhumanoids has one of them portrayed by porn actres Sharon Mitchell with her normal hairdo.

Lead cast members have trouble reading lines and the dumb sound effects aren't very funny. Makeup and stop-motion effects are strictly amateurish.

You've got to be a die-hard fan to embrace this one. Sounds corny? It's meant to be goofy. The class of nuke 'em high is back, and this time they're in college! I remember watched this as a kid, I am thankful for that. This is a great film with a tone reminiscent of Doctor Detroit. If you love silly, this should be a rewarding experience for you. Granted, most supporting characters were one-dimensional. There's something very nostalgic about it. I urge you to see it with an open mind. It will either surprise or disappoint you, depending on what your expectations are. I laughed and was moved and all of that good stuff. It gets 7 out of 10 from me.