It Came from Outer Space II

They've shown i twice in a very short time now here in Sweden and I am so very tired of it. The bad acting isn't enough... The story itself is so boring and the effects hardly exists. I love the original from 1953 so I recommend you to go and rent that one instead. Because this one is such a bore.

The opening was a steal from "Eight-legged Freaks", a film that is everything this one isn't. Stilted and pedestrian are the words that apply - along with others that can't be repeated..! Drifter type returns to his home(?)town, meets up with old friends etc.... the usual annoying kid, single mother,local loudmouth and so on..Bad special effects, alien ship, atmospheric disturbances, (hey, didn't the Director see "Close Encounters"?). Good acting? Good story? Good camera angles? Good cutting? Not here! Do not rent, unless you are sharing the cost and have a lot of beer handy. Do not watch on TV, go and drink a lot of beer instead - you'll enjoy it more!

Despite its poor reputation, I really wanted to see this sequel that's actually a remake. I'm a big fan of the original It Came from Outer Space. I missed this when it originally aired and these days it's hard to find streaming. Finally I got a copy of an old dvd set that has a bunch of 90s sci-fi tv movies on it. Having just finished the film I can say it's nothing great but also not the compete dud its ratings would suggest. It's a perfectly watchable time-passer. I don't regret watching it.

The cast is nice even if many of the notable character actors that make up the supporting cast aren't given much to work with. Of the main cast, Elizabeth Peña is the best. Brian Kerwin does fine. He's just a little vanilla and the wide-eyed expression does start to remind you of the kazoo kid meme after awhile. The child actor in this is annoying but tolerable when onscreen with Peña. The stock music and poor 90s CG effects are strictly no-budget. The script is nothing special. Not a lot happens in the movie until the final third. Still, I was never really bored which is a testament to the actors I think. They're a mostly likable bunch who did well with what they were given.

They picked good actors and went through the motions well. If you did not see the original Based on a Ray Bradbury story, it could hold its own as a standard "blob from space" movie.

Basically, something comes from space and holds a small town at bay. You must ask why and how this could happen. Maybe you will still not get a clear answer. However, it is mostly "stay in the car scenes."

You may recognize Elizabeth Peña who plays the mother Ellen Fields. She is well known for major films such as "Jacob's Ladder" (1990) and "Vibes" (1998).

The filming locations may also look familiar: San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA Antelope Valley, California, USA Littlerock, California, USA.

The photographer Jack Putnam (Brian Kerwin) returns to his hometown in the desert, where he meets old friends. The boy Stevie Fields (Jonathan Carrasco), who is raised by his mother Ellen Fields (Elizabeth Peña) alone and with no friends, tries to draw Jack's attention and invites him to go to a hill in the desert to take pictures. They go together and Jack lends a camera to Stevie. Out of the blue, they see something falling from the sky with a storm. Out of the blue, the water disappears, there is a power-cut and the temperature becomes unbearably high. Soon people realize that they are trapped inside the town. When some residents change their behaviors and Stevie is missing, Jack drives to the hill and sees a rock growing bigger and bigger and finds that there are aliens in town.

"It Came from Outer Space II" is an unnecessary sci-fi and a waste of time to the viewers. The teleplay is boring, with a corny conclusion. The romance of Jack and Ellen has no chemistry and does exist only to give a happy ending. Jack's friend Alan Paxson is one of the best characters of this movie and is the only to die in the story. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "A Ameaça que Veio do Espaço" ("The Threat that Came from the Space")