Beyond Re-Animator

Beyond re-animator is the final installment of Stuart Gordon's "Re-animator" series that began in 1985 and like most late installments, comes off as unnecessary and a failed attempt to cash in on a popular title. In the fashion of "Jason goes to Hell", "Freddy's dead: The Final Nightmare" and "Halloween: H20", Beyond Re-animator attempts to restart the series by trying to retcon certain plot elements while pretending to be a legitimate sequel. The result, as usual was a colossal mess of inconsistencies, leaving only the most superficial elements from the original two films without the heart of what made those films so beloved in the first place. We find our protagonist Herbert West imprisoned in a federal jail after his former assistant Dan Kain apparently turned him in to the authorities for his illegal experimentation. We never find out why Dan, a prominent character in the original films would do such a thing and Beyond Re-animator brushes off any details as unimportant. We're also provided with no explanation as to how West escaped the cliffhanger conflict at the end of the last film "Bride of Re-animator". Jeffrey Combs reprises his role as the mad scientist, who continues his devilish experiments on whatever subjects he can gain access to within the confines of his small prison cell. However, everything changes for West when Dr. Howard Philips (Jason Barry) takes over as the prison physician. Philips had witnessed the power of West's reagent serum as a child and has since become obsessed with the science of re-animating the dead. Handing West his iconic syringe containing the glowing green reagent, it's only a matter of time before West restarts his old experiments, and the entire prison is thrown into chaos. The film plays out in the typical fashion that we've come to expect from this series. Characters die only to be used as test subjects for West and Philips who bring them back to life as vicious, murderous monsters. The style blends graphic body horror with ridiculous slap stick comedy. While entertaining at times, Beyond Re-animator does little more than copy it's predecessors and fails to further the story of Herbert West in any meaningful way. The absence of Stuart Gordon is obvious as the film feels more like a what if scenario, rather than a genuine attempt to further an existing mythos. The story is convoluted as the majority of scenes serve little more than excuses to get from A to point B. For example, there's an ongoing joke about one of the inmates having a pet rat. We see West experiment on the rat which serves as an all to predictable foreshadowing of the rat being re-animated as one of West's experiments and eventually attacking his former owner. The characters in this film, save for Herbert West, were all one dimensional and failed to establish meaningful identities for themselves. Herbert West is deranged and lacking in social graces as always, making him the sole source of entertainment. By comparison, the scenes without West were uninteresting and took up far to much of the film's run time. It was fun seeing Jeffrey Combs reprise his most famous role one last time. However, the unoriginal plot and hollow performances by the rest of the cast simply couldn't keep up with him and ultimately dragged him down along with them and the rest of this film. Beyond Re-animator attempted to bring new life to the Re-animator series. Unfortunately, this experiment was a failure.

After causing the Miskatonic University Massacre,Dr.Herbert West has been serving a prison sentence for the past 14 years.Far from overcoming his scientific obsession with bringing dead organisms back to life,he has had no choice but to continue his experiments on the only specimens he can find in his cell:rats.When Howard,a new young doctor,comes to work as the prison MD and requests his assistance,Dr.West discovers that the young protege has something he left behind 14 years ago..."Beyond Re-Animator" is an enjoyable horror flick that offers plenty of gore.It's nice to see Jeffrey Combs again as Herbert West.The acting is okay and and there is a lot of zombies running around plus a nice dose of black humour(a bitten-off re-animated penis which has a rather hilarious fight with a re-animated rat).This film is surely not as good as "Re-Animator",but if you want to be entertained give it a look.7 out of 10.

After thirteen years in a prison ruled by a very mean director, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is invited to be the assistant of the new-comer Dr. Howard Phillips (Jason Barry), a brilliant resident, in the penitentiary infirmary. After being introduced to each other, Dr. Phillips discloses that the last experiment of Dr. West killed his sister thirteen years ago, when he was a boy, and he became fascinated with the possibility of bringing dead people back to life. The journalist Laura Olney (Elsa Pataky), who is covering a matter for her newspaper in the prison, has an affair with Dr. Phillips, and they fall in love for each other. However, the experience of Dr. West looses control and the place becomes a branch of hell. "Beyond Re-Animator" was a great surprise for me. I did not expect anything interesting in this sequel, but I decided to risk, based on the names of Brian Yuzna and Jeffrey Combs. When I saw twice the microphone mistakenly in the scene in the beginning of the movie, when Dr. West is having a conversation with Sergeant Moncho (Lolo Herrero) in his cell, I thought that I was going to lose my time watching this film. However, "Beyond Re-Animator" is an excellent and very funny trash-movie, with a great potential of cult-movie. The story is very bloody and has lots of black humor and gore, recalling the style of Peter Jackson's "Braindead". This movie is a worthwhile sequel of the cult "Re-Animator" and "Bride of Re-Animator". Along the credits, there is another very funny scene. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Re-Animator – Fase Terminal" ("Re-Animator – Terminal Phase")

Better than it had to be. I'm not gonna lie - I liked it more than Bride. It's more cohesive. It's zany without the over the top acting like Bride had. I like that after all these years - it stays true to the original. It still has that 80's spirit. This is a treat for fans who needed one more fix of that Re-Animator goodness!

I think they had the right idea. The basic concept for me had potential. This special element representing 'the soul', energy that could be used to revive someone back to normal once re-animated. Having to kill one source to bring back another has a nice twist to it.

The opening and closing of the film was cool (with the intro of West and him walking away into the mist). I could deal with the new protege, Howard, or whatever his name is, though I would have rather he used his native accent to give the film some more flavour. (but having Dan Cain back would have been so much better)

My first biggest problem with the film comes from what they do with the basic concept. To me, they never fully realized it. I kept waiting for everything to go to the next level... especially when the riot broke out, I was hoping they'd take the massacre at the end of the first movie and just let loose. That never happened. Instead, they opted for a couple truly idiotic moments and what at the end of the day felt like a stale re-mix of elements from the first and second. I didn't want to see reflective moments from the first, though that might have been fine in a better movie... nor of Bride. I wanted something taken to a new level, much like Bride did after the original.

They had the concept. They had the setting. And I believe that Brian Yuzna can still direct a decent movie had he a good script and cast to work with. More and more, I wish they could have convinced Stuart Gordon to come back and take his rightful place as director of Beyond Re-Animator. I loved Dagon, very much showing he's still got it (not to mention the fact I love Re-Animator and enjoy From Beyond), and I could only imagine what he could have done with Beyond Re-Animator.

I think the script is the biggest fault of the film. Performances or the direction of those performances is next. The only truly golden character in the film is obviously Herbert West, with Jeffry Combs doing a wonderful job given the material he has to work with. I would rather they focused more on West than the silly little romance between Howard and that reporter (with an annoying voice recorded, which I believe must be because of bad dubbing to hide a thick accent. And if it wasn't dubbing, please dear god go back in time and cast someone else). The reporter subplots would have been better written out than to have to sit through them again. The only part I could get behind with that whole mess was at the end, when Howard had lost it and he was going back and forth calling out Emily (his sister) and Laura, the reporter, mixing the two up in his head, and just before that cradling her head in his hands. From that point on, the film was back on target... exactly as it should of been all along. Too bad there was only a couple minutes left in the film.

Don't get me started about the final Rat shadow sequence.

All I have to say in regards to the Warden was that he was no Dr Hill.

Overall, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. A disappointment. At the back of my mind, there was a hope that it'd be at least on the level of Bride. Not great, but a decent Re-Animator fix. The final result is anything but.