Anatomie 2

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)

the first one was great (a common sequel-problem...?)... this time it's a different approach to tell the story: more action, which results in fast cuts and steady-cam... but also in a lack of time to explain all reused elements from the first one (good!) and to introduce them (very bad!). The main characters are too stereotyped and don't show enough plausible development... at least it isn't boring for a second but it could have been done much better...

The doctor and soccer player in the leisure time Jo Hauser (Barnaby Metschurat) decides to move to Berlin and be an intern in a famous clinic, expecting to increase his knowledge and expertize, and help his handicap brother Willi Hauser (Hanno Koffer). He joins a secret fraternity of doctors, under the leadership of Prof. Müller-LaRousse (Herbert Knaup), who is researching the use of bionic muscles in human beings without any ethics or respect to the laws. The team is also volunteer to the experiences, and is under investigation of Paula Henning (Franka Potente). When Jo gets close to a Filipino nurse, and becomes addicted in the drugs used in experience, he realizes the truth hidden in the methods used by the secret society in the development of science. "Anatomy 2" is a deceptive and forgettable story with total lack of credibility. The participation of Franka Potente is ridiculous, only to give her name to the credits and to attract her fans. The implausible story is very imbecile, but anyway if the viewer shutdown the brain, the film entertains. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Anatomia 2" ("Anatomy 2")

Surprisingly sharp sequel to the original Anatomy finds a young med student getting involved with a drugged up woman who gets him involved with the AAA. The AAA has expanded their field of medical research from the first film. This time around they are using their youngest members to test out synthetic muscles, but of course their experiements get out of control which results in plenty of murder and mayhem.

Right on the same level, if not slightly better then the original. The script expands itself and tries to head in a different direction instead of being a copy of the original. And the film crew give the film a visually appealing look. It's one fast paced, sexy, smart, and thrilling ride.

Rated R; Violence, Profanity, Drug Use, Sexuality.

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)