Beyond Re-Animator (2003)

   

Produced & Directed by: Brian Yuzna

Written by:
José Manuel Gómez

Starring:

Jeffrey Combs .... Dr. Herbert West
Jason Barry .... Dr. Howard Phillips
Elsa Pataky .... Laura Onley
Simón Andreu .... Warden Brando
Lolo Herrero .... Sergeant
Enrique Arce .... Cabrera
Nico Baixas .... Moses
Raquel Gribler .... Nurse Vanessa

Release Dates: Philadelphia International Film Festival: April 4, 2003; Fantastic Film Festival: April 11, 2003 (Netherlands); Dead by Dawn Edinburgh Horror Film Festival: April 26, 2003; Cannes Film Market: May 18, 2003; München Fantasy Filmfest: July 27, 2003; Hamburg Fantasy Filmfest: August 16, 2003; Espoo Film Festival: August 22, 2003; Lund Fantastisk Film Festival: September 27, 2003; Gérardmer Fantasticarts Film Festival: January 29, 2004

 

Rating:

 

Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is now in jail after having state's evidence turned against him by his former assistant, Dan Cain.
There is some formula left behind in which a child found while camping in his backyard and used it on a corpse that killed his sister.
15 years later this child now full grown named Dr. Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) wants to work with Herbert and finds him at the jail cell to find out what this formual is capable of and they use it on a rat that becomes vicious as one of the cell mates named Moses (Nico Baixas) who poisoned himself accidentally. The results as usual are disasterous.
Also Warden Brando (Simón Andreu) murders Howard's girlfriend Laura Onley (Elsa Pataky) in which he tries to convince Herbert to resurrect her only to find out that she isn't the same even if they give her electro shock therapy to seem normal but she even turns against Howard himself.

 

There's a nice beginning with a teenage girl being pitted against a kitchen zombie by picking her up in the air and whacking her head against a brick wall which almost looked brutal by how he does this to her but it needed to be picked up a bit more. However there's a good camera shot looking up ona child crying and looking upset with what happened to his dead sister which looked fairly touching.
There's a good shot on a rat running along a small corridor with our main hero Dr. Herbert West grabbing it and ready to do an experiment on it which looked a bit disturbing on how he was going to do this.
There's a great powerful moment with both Herbert and Dr. Howard Phillips trying to revive Moses and him going crazy trying to attack them along with many other good close up shots on him biting someone's arm and other intense stuff which was drawn together terrifically.
There's a discussion between Herbert and Laura Onley after having a romantic dinner with one another but it doesn't look overly convincing yet he does act very disturbed and serious on a topic he shares with her which looked very well done. There's also a good makeout in bed scene with the two of them which looked quite good on them enjoying one another.
There's a great intimidating moment with Warden Brando slowly approaching Laura with her backing up nervously and then a great shot on Moses suddenly leaping up and biting his ear with him howling in pain which looked quite cringing. There's also a great shot on her screaming and crying in terror pinned back against a wall. There's a nice moment with Warden then beating Moses and going in a rage and then forcing Laura to kneel down and manipulate her to doing something sleazy which looked very convincing like a mafia type of situation to this.
There's a great moment with Laura being resurrected in a re-animator acting like she's having a seisure with both Herbert and Howard trying to pin her down.
There's many great takes on the people at the prison going crazy destroying stuff as well as a good camera shot closing in towards Brando resurrected as a reainmator acting more menacing as well as good shot on him beating two people which looked quite brutal and good shots on his menacing expressions and behavior too.
There's terrific demanding aggression with Herbert towards Howard to get him to do some electro shock therapy to help these corpses.
There's a good shot on a nurse backing up against a wall with Moses coming up to her and tearing off her top as well as good shot on him moving down near her breast with a good close up shot on her almost relaxing more. Then a good shot on him biting her breast with her screaming in pain which was quite an attention grabber.
There's many great takes with Laura attacking Howard and trying to strangle him as well as good close up shots on her crying asking him to kill her which looked quite emotional.
Bottom line is that the film was overly done I found so it didn't impress me as much but there was a nice prologue which I enjoyed with one of the lead character's as a child encountering a re-animated zombie in which it seemed to leave the film off with a good start but the rest of it took place in a prison which slumped a bit.
There's geeky goons in the film which came across as intimidating at times but not convincing enough due to the dark comedy used in this one. However, the story is a little more serious than ever now.
There is nice chemistry with the two main character's working together and putting together the re-animated formula too plus some good attacking moments with these zombies too. It also delivered more shocking gore effects including a bitten off dick which is not for everyone to watch by any means.
There's also scene's with a warden against an innocent woman which looks like a MAFIA type of a plot that was worth watching and was interesting seeing someone manipulate someone else preying on the weak.
There's also great moments with a woman being resurrected into a re-animator and then using something else to make out that she's normal too along with her trying to kill her loved one and then crying to him that he wants him to kill her which reminds me of many scene's in Return of the Living Dead Part 3. This touched me quite a bit. Other than that there's nothing much to talk about other than some descent performances.
This film is not begging you for another sequel and may disappoint the fans of the first two. But then again, I was never a fan on any of them so what do I know? I just found the storyline pretty bland and stale.

The acting is slightly cheesy but some do a good job nonetheless such as our lead actor Jeffrey Combs (Dr. Herbert West) from the first three in the flick showing a good strong serious attitude in his film as well as acting goofy and crazy too like he always has but seems different every time showing some new characteristics too.
Jason Barry
(Dr. Howard Phillips) shows a good serious attitude in his part of the film really coming across very strong with his character and showing great energy in everything that he did. He also knew how to totally lose it when he tries to resurrect his girlfriend which came across perfectly. He could go far with his acting career.
Elsa Pataky
(Laura Onley) does well being soft spoken in her part of the film as well as coming across as a beautiful type which is what we need in a horror flick. She also does well crying in fear as well as coming across as a bit ditsy too. She also was great as being resurrected into a re-animator zombie in which she knew how to act crazy and aggressive as well as crying at the same time.
Simón Andreu
(Warden Brando) really delivered with his part as a sleazy type showing a nice intimidating and manipulative attitude in which he would portray a terrific mobster type in other shows with this part he played. He also comes across even more powerfully after he is turned in one of the re-animated zombies acting evilly goofy and obnoxious too by leaping into action attacking others. He was powerful beating on others showing nice blocking movements on him along with showing perfect vicious sneering reactions. I found him to be one of the best cast members.
Lolo Herrero
(Sergeant) played a perfect Sergeant with his masculine features but yet seemed to act like a softy with his personality but it worked in the film he didn't let the viewers down with what he had to do in the film.
Enrique Arce
(Cabrera) came across quite annoying as one of the cell mates in the film who loves his pet rat but knew how to act violent and aggressive too plus had the right looks as one of those bad dudes too. There's a great forceful attitude with him against his co-star accusing him of taking his rat by grabbing his ankle which looked very hyped up. He just seemed to come across as a bit goofy.
Nico Baixas
(Moses) was incredibly hyped up in his part of the film acting very outrageous and really crazy acting which was great for what he portyrayed and was like a wild animal with rabies after turning into one of the re-animators attacking other. He was a perfect key member in the film. He does well with his crying reactions while being in pain.

There's a brief breast shot exposed by Elsa Pataky as well as a butt shot on Jason Barry fornicating in bed.
Raquel Gribler's
top is torn off with her breasts fully revealed.

A re-animator zombie's jaw is missing
An arm is bitten with blood splurting out
A guys ear is bitten off
Lots of body parts torn off
Insides are torn out
A man is split in half
A persons face is mangled
A woman's head is decapitated with the remains of her body
A cock is bitten off
Eye balls are exposed
Tons of blood

There's still the adventureous theme type music with the violin and clarinet playing during many scene's of the film which seems to be traditional for the Re-Animator series. Plus there's excellent music for the opening sequence of the film. There's the odd low bass guitar thumping sounds too which seems to work well which was brought together by Xavier Capellas