The Terror Within II is a 1991 American science fiction horror film directed by Andrew Stevens and starring George Kennedy, Stella Stevens, and C. Thomas Howell. It is the sequel to the 1989 film The Terror Within.
The film opens with a scene of a man being chased by a monstrous creature through the desert. The creature catches up to the man and kills him. The scene then shifts to a group of scientists who are working on a secret project to create a genetically engineered super soldier. The project is being funded by the military.
The scientists have been successful in creating a number of these super soldiers, but they are all incredibly aggressive and violent. The military decides to cancel the project and the scientists are ordered to destroy all of the remaining super soldiers.
However, one of the super soldiers escapes and begins to terrorize the desert community where the scientists live. The townspeople are helpless against the creature and it seems like nothing can stop it.
The Terror Within II is a well-made sequel that builds upon the first film. The creature effects are well done and the film is suspenseful. The acting is also quite good, especially from George Kennedy.
The film is not without its flaws, however. The pacing is a bit slow at times and the film does drag in the middle. Additionally, the film’s ending is a bit anti-climactic.
The first Terror Within had a nice apocalyptic movie meets aliens kind of feeling, but this film fails to recapture that tension. In many ways it is a rehash of the first movie, plotting is very similar, characters all feel very similar, it even looks like many of the same sets and locations were used. In no way is it just an out and out remake, but you’ll certainly notice all kinds of similarities and overlaps.
This movie seems to move a little faster than its predecessor, there seems to be a bit more going on that should capture our interest, but it just seems to lack the originals charm. So many things are similar, but that apocalyptic charm is missing. Perhaps it is just that the two films are so alike in many ways that this one already feels like familiar ground.
Special effects are nothing special but they are up to the job and manage to do what they are supposed to. There isn’t anything here that will sicken or repulse the ardent gorehound, but the make up does have an enjoyable low budget kitsch quality. The mutants look suitably mutated and pass muster. Props seem done a little on the cheap with things such as machine guns firing without a muzzle discharge but it’s really not too badly handled. It looks good enough, and works to create that apocalyptic b-movie kind of feeling.
One nice little treat is that mostly good looking women seem to have survived the biological apocalypse, so there is some nice eye candy and skin to look at. One could almost look forward to a disease armageddon if it left the lookers alive and dispatched the escapees from movies like Flesh Eating Mothers and Feed.
All in all though, it is really too similar to the first movie, only lacking in that feeling which the original created. It isn’t a bad watch, is fairly enjoyable, and does belong in the collection of anyone who enjoys post apocalyptic tales of mutants and struggle for survival in a hostile wasteland. What’s more, this second film is given away free as an extra on many of the releases of Terror Within 1. If you get it that way, for free, you really can’t complain.
Overall, The Terror Within II is a solid sequel that horror fans will enjoy. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun ride.
Synopsis
The year is 2029 and the world is a very different place. A deadly virus has decimated the population and the few survivors are living in underground shelters. One of these shelters is run by a man named Andrew (George Kennedy), who is a ruthless dictator. The people in the shelter are constantly being terrorized by Andrew and his henchmen.
One day, a group of survivors arrives at the shelter, led by a woman named Claire (Teri Polo). They are looking for a safe place to stay and are willing to trade anything they have for a spot in the shelter. Andrew agrees to let them in, but only if they agree to his rules.
The new arrivals are not used to the conditions in the shelter and they quickly start to rebel against Andrew. He responds by torturing and killing them one by one. The only person who seems to be able to stand up to him is Claire.
As the body count starts to pile up, the survivors realize that they need to do something to stop Andrew. They hatch a plan to kill him, but it goes horribly wrong. Andrew ends up getting the upper hand and he starts to hunt the survivors one by one.
The final showdown between Andrew and the survivors is a bloody and brutal battle. In the end, only a few people are left alive and the shelter is in ruins.
Movie Details
Director: Andrew Stevens
Writers: Andrew Stevens, Thmoas M. Cleaver
Actors: Andrew Stevens, Stella Stevens, R. Lee Ermey, Barbara A. Woods
Release Year: 1991
AKA: The Terror Within 2