Beyond Re-Animator (2003)

Plot Outline: Herbert West is currently serving a prison sentence for his previous crimes of trying to re-animate the dead. But he's been secretly carrying on his experiments using rats. When a new doctor arrives to work at the prison, he takes an interest in West's work and decides to help him to perfect the process. An inmate is brought in for treatment but dies on the operating table. Seeing a chance to try out their work, the two inject him with the re-animation fluid with disastrous results.

The Review: The second sequel to the cult favourite 80s original, Beyond Re-Animator does nothing new with the successful formula of the other two - there's still plenty of gore, lots of zombies running around, a lethal dose of black humour and Jeffrey Combs lapping it up as Herbert West. The film looks a lot more professional this time. It's got a sharper picture, more-rounded gore effects and the special effects have been given plenty of time and effort. The first half of the film is basically the same re-treading of the original. We meet Dr West. We meet the person who is going to help him. We also meet the unfortunate victim who is going to be brought back from the dead (this time it's the amazingly hot Elsa Pataky). Then once the half-way mark hits, the film suddenly realises it doesn't have anywhere left to go and turns the inmates loose in an attempt to liven the film up with some rioting. The potential for a massive army of zombies fighting each other inside prison was missed and instead we're made to do with a few of them including a torso-only zombie who has to swing on the overhanging pipes to get around the prison and one inmate who thinks the re-animation fluid is in fact a drug (with hilarious consequences). The gore factor is still as high as ever - we even get a bitten-off re-animated penis which has a rather unique fight with a re-animated rat. The acting is rather weak with the two younger leads (Jason Barry and Elsa Pataky) both pretty unconvincing (although Pataky's gorgeous looks more than make up for that). But Jeffrey Combs is back as West and he's still the same dull but crazy man who may or may not be completely insane.

Final Verdict: If you've watched the others and liked them, then Beyond Re-Animator is basically the same silly-but-fun formula re-hashed again. Everything is pushed to the limit including zany re-animated creations, the gore factor and the black comedy. Add in Dr West to hold it all together once again and you've got a safe entry into this now apparent franchise.

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