Alligator II: The Mutation

Director - John Hess (Legion, Excessive Force)

Starring - Joseph Bologna (Married... With Children, Transylvania 6-5000), Dee Wallace (The Howling, Critters), and Richard Lynch (Halloween, The Sword and the Sorcerer)

Release Date - 1991

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "It erupted from the bowels of the city in a lethal frenzy"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I may have lived through the video store era but my experience with direct to video sequels to horror titles is very limited.  I didn't live near a Blockbuster or Hollywood Video like many horror fans my age.  I lived in rural West Virginia and my locally owned video, Dewey's Video, was great at handling popular titles but there horror and sci-fi releases were something to be desired.  Don't get me wrong, he had some rather obscure horror titles but it was still a small selection.  The reason I'm mentioning this is because I had no idea that the 1980 horror film Alligator had a sequel that was released in 1991 until Scream Factory announced the release.  I knew I would be preparing my review for the UHD release of Alligator soon enough so I snagged a copy of this sequel to double feature with the original.  I'm glad I did because it was a lot of fun.  

     The film follows a police detective that is investigating a series of murders in the sewers in a small town that is adjacent to a lake.  At first no one believes him but as the bodies pile up he finds his story about a killer alligator is a little easier to swallow.

     Mutated animal films were big in the 90s and one of my favorite sub-genres that is painfully underrated.  While a lot of these films were aimed towards insects we still saw a fair share of animals as well.  We saw films like Mosquito, Ticks, Silent Predators, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare, Bats, and King Cobra to name a few.  Alligator II: The Mutation fits into this sub-genre quit nicely but does feel more like a remake than a sequel.  Regardless, I enjoyed it but not to the extent I did the first film.  In fact, it was a bit too repetitive especially after watching it directly after the first film.  The acting in this one is not really that bad but the performances are not that memorable and the characters blend into the background.  If the alligator is not in the scene then you can count on the scene being very forgettable which is a damn shame considering Dee Wallace and Richard Lynch are both in it and are very underutilized.  The story for this one is pretty much the same as the original with a few tweaks.  We get a mutated alligator that terrorizes a city while the detective on the case draws laughs at his accusations.  The unoriginality, lackluster characters, and boring scenes creates a bit of a dull watch but it does have some moments that make it fun for at least a one time viewing.  Finally, the film uses the same forced perspectives and miniatures to get the alligator size.  We get the kills you would expect from a film featuring a kill alligator but it's not as gory as one would expect.  Overall, Alligator II: The Mutation is a solid follow up to a classic nature run amok title.  It's enjoyable for at least one viewing but it doesn't have that special kick to the gut that makes it stand out or become your new favorite film.  Check it out but only if you are a fan of the original.