Quick Movie Review: The Fly (Cronenberg)

5/10

A movie that doesn't outstay its welcome is David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly, clocking in at around 1hr 25 and telling its classic scientist-regrets-playing-God tale at a breakneck speed.

Indeed, such is the speed at which the movie wants to move we start in the middle of a scene and a burgeoning romance between Jeff Goldblums' Seth Brundle and Geena Davis' Ronnie is rushed to such an extent that there appears to be absolutely no reason for their sudden kiss and sex session.

In fact, it all seems to be sprinting past the plot in favour of classic body horror shenanigans, as a Gibbon is turned inside out and stuff like that.

It's in these sequences that the director really seems to be enjoying himself, pulling all the creepy gore and nasty close ups possible. If that's not your thing you will hate this movie.

As for myself, I think it's ok, if a little extreme in parts allowing the mank to override the story, but you probably don't care much about the story in this kind of movie. One thing it certainly is, is quite sad. You could see it as a metaphor for any degenerative disease if you like, and it's tempting for me to overplay this angle to appear clever and insightful. I actually think that's a side effect of the actual intention, which is to make a 50s style moral horror tale with modern techniques (even if the moral is "do everything in a sterile environment" since the experiment does actually work as planned!). In this sense it is perfectly successful, though there's probably not really enough depth to it to reach true classic status.

A fine way to spend such a short amount of time, but no more exciting or wonderful than two back to back episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

A