Anatomie 2

... last semester? Or last movie ... although to be fair we get a new group of people with at least one surviving character returning, to make an impact ... a little impact at least. And depending on what character I mean ... and what part of the movie I'm talking about. But back to basics - they really thought of things, medicine wise, something that is even more apparent in the first movie or at least feels like that.

We get another bunch of teenagers (or is tweens? Probably the latter, but I never bothered to check their age) who try to learn about Anatomy. And some have quite the freaky methods to do so. Now the motives of the villain(s?) of this movie are sinister but also they have good intentions ... when has that ever been a good excuse? I know - still it is quite intriguing and something that somewhat saves this movie from total obscurity.

Like the first one, this has a bonus scene right after the credits start rolling ... in this case it may be even more important ... well if there ever had been an Anatomy 3 that is ... because it seems like quite the set up for it ... but what do I know, right?

"Anatomie 2" is a typical sequel which attempts to capitalize on the inertia of the popular first edition while not delivering the star power, creative juice, atmospherics or substance. This flick tells of a young medical prodigy (Metschurat) who falls in with a secret society of doctors who experiment with human bionics. Eminently predictable, less than horrific, with a meager human story, a mechanical and rote execution, and only a token appearance by rising star Potente, "Anatomie 2" pales next to it's predecessor. See "Anatomie" first and don't expect much out of the sequel. (C+)

From Dr. Frankenstein to Dr. Mengele, Germany has developed quite a reputation for…hmm.. how shall we put it?…"unconventional" men of science.

It's appropriate, then, that the German film "Anatomy 2" should be a brave-new-world sci-fi thriller that deals with the issues of biomedical ethics and just how far science should be allowed to go in trying to "improve" on Mother Nature.

Professor Muller-LaRousse is a world famous neurosurgeon who has been covertly conducting questionable experiments, implanting synthetic muscles into perfectly healthy young men and women (who also happen to be his devoted interns). Even though a disturbing number of these "guinea pigs" have died as a result of the procedures, LaRousse forges on, undeterred and undaunted, convinced - as any mad scientist worth his salt would be - that scientific advancement cannot be allowed to run aground on the shoals of a few trivial dead bodies. His plan is to create some sort of "master race" of invincible semi-humans. Jo Hauser is a promising young doctor who has come to Berlin to work and study under LaRousse, confident that he will be able to make a real difference not only in the lives of others but particularly in the life of his younger brother who has fallen victim to a degenerative neurological disorder. Filled with idealism, Jo allows himself to be pulled into LaRousse's group of sycophantic acolytes, perhaps to his everlasting regret.

The film is obviously intended as a modern day allegory of Nazism - what with its emphasis on group-think, unethical medical experimentation and talk about creating a "master race" - but the movie feels just too much like other - and better - dystopian sci-fi fantasies to be very effective. The intriguing medical ethics issues are eventually shunted aside for a series of protracted action scenes overflowing with typical mad scientist malarkey and man-on-the-run clichés.

That's a shame because the movie starts off with a better-than-average premise that promises a thoughtful re-examination of an age-old theme. However, "Anatomy 2" just winds up being silly where it most desperately needs to be serious.

ANATOMY 2 is not a very good film. It obviously had a big budget, and the visuals are quite polished and slick. But the film itself is cartoonish and uninvolving. The screenplay lacks credibility, and the movie's use of science, as a whole, is laughable. Comic books make up better science than this movie.

The characters are also lacking. The only character of note is the Filipino nurse, who sadly goes missing for much of the movie. The lead is not very sympathetic, and most of the characters who play "doctors" (or interns) look more like a high school clique rather than people who have graduated from medical school.

Also, there is almost no action. I keep hearing "more action", but where is it? I see a lot of running and chasing (in a hospital, no less!) but nothing close to "action".

All in all, a bad film. I haven't seen the original, so perhaps it's better. I don't say this often, but perhaps ANATOMY 2 would have been better had it taken the Teen Slasher route, and gone for dumb mindless fun. In this case, the movie is just dumb and mindless, but not very fun at all.

4 out of 10

(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of this movie)

ANATOMY 2 (Anatomie 2)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / SDDS

An intern (Barnaby Metschurat) at one of Berlin's top hospitals is targeted by a charismatic doctor (Herbert Knaup) who's been conducting illegal experiments on some of his students, involving the replacement of various muscle groups with powerful synthetic substitutes. But the drugs needed to curb the various side effects are highly addictive, and lead to madness and murder...

This unnecessary sequel - only tenuously linked to the original ANATOMY (2000) - foregoes genuine horror for a slow build-up of tension as Metschurat is first seduced by his newfound friends and then rejects their dreams of a Nazi-style 'master race'. The Gothic setting of the first film is replaced by the faceless corridors of an ultra-modern hospital, and - aside from a horrific opening sequence - there are few memorable set-pieces to distinguish the movie from its run-of-the-mill US counterparts. Bombastic music score, fine performances, but the film is pretty unsatisfying as a whole. Franka Potente (THE BOURNE IDENTITY) makes a brief cameo appearance, purely for marquee value.

(German dialogue)