''Mimic 2'' is a 2001

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

, directed by

Jean de Segonzac Jean de Segonzac (sometimes credited as Jean DeSegonzac) is an American director, screenwriter and cinematographer who has worked in documentaries and television programs. Most of his work has been in gritty, ''cinéma vérité''-style law enfor ...

, with a script inspired by a short story of the same name by

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pearso ...

. The movie was a direct-to-DVD sequel to ''

Mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

'' (1997), and was followed by '' Mimic 3: Sentinel'' (2003). The thriller stars long-time film veteran Edward Albert, along with Alix Koromzay, Bruno Campos and

Jon Polito Jon Raymond Polito (December 29, 1950 – September 1, 2016) was an American character actor. In a film and television career spanning 35 years, he amassed over 220 credits. Notable television roles included Detective Steve Crosetti in the fi ...

Plot

Four years after the events of the first film, after three men are discovered hideously mutilated (their faces have been removed) and strung up among New York City's high-tension wires, Detective Klaski ( Bruno Campos) stumbles upon a link: Each of the men knew

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

Remy (Alix Koromzay), a teacher at an inner-city high school. Klaski considers Remy to be a prime, albeit unlikely, suspect in the killings until he witnesses for himself the shape-shifting creature that has been stalking Remy: an intelligent mutant insect with the face of its previous victim that wants to mate with Remy. Klaski, Remy and a pair of her students get trapped inside the school as the creature hunts them down. Remy gets separated and runs into the creature which does not harm her but instead seems interested in her. Remy then gets cornered and the creature attempts to give her pizza. Meanwhile, a special forces unit, headed by the militant leader known only as Darksuit ( Edward Albert), gets ready to fumigate the school with poisonous gas. After all the trapped humans seem to have escaped the fumigation, and with the help of a heroic Klaski in Remy's case, inspection teams following through find the creature's recently vacated

husk Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective ...

and, later on, the mangled corpse of Klaski. It appears that the creature, impersonating Klaski, has been caring for Remy's well-being with a mind to fulfill its base purpose. Unfortunately for it, when they finally meet in a suspenseful setting in Remy's apartment, she decapitates it. However, it is not dead as cockroaches can live up to two weeks without a head and Remy and one of the students, who is now living with her, are left wondering how to handle the situation.

Cast

* Alix Koromzay as Remy Panos * Edward Albert as Darksuit * Bruno Campos as Detective Klaski * Will Estes as Nicky * Gaven E. Lucas as Sal Aguirre *

as Morrie Deaver * Jody Wood as Detective Clecknal * Jim O'Heir as Lou * Brian Leckner as Jason Mundy * Paul Schulze as Phillip

Reception

Critical response

The film received negative reviews. Christabel Padmore from Apollo Movie Guide said: "The only reason you might watch ''Mimic 2'' is if you're a fan of some of the special effects used in the first movie". Keith Brown from ''Eye for Film'' judged: "There's nothing particularly wrong with ''Mimic 2'', as B-movie monster movies go". Nathan Rabin for The Onion wrote: "''Mimic 2'' is the very definition of an arbitrary sequel: it essentially remakes its little-loved predecessor, which combined Cronenbergian weird science, Alien-style claustrophobia, and abundant gore to little discernible effect". eFilmCritic reviewer Jack Sommersby called "incompetent and unimaginative on just about every level". The Horror Review felt: "Though it doesn’t set any genre or cinematic precedence, it does take the time to develop character relationships, create atmosphere, and establish dread within its viewer, resulting in an enjoyable second outing that, in many respects, trumps its forerunner". The publication gave it 4 out of 5 stars. The film holds 8% positive critics on

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Accolades

* Won: Video Premiere Award – Best Visual Effects * Nominated: Video Premiere Award – Best Cinematography * Nominated: Video Premiere Award – Best Editing

Sequel

''Mimic 3: Sentinel'' was released in 2003. Directed by J.T. Petty, its script was also inspired by the short story "Mimic" by Donald A. Wollheim. While a direct-to-DVD sequel to both ''Mimic'' and ''Mimic 2'', it takes a different thematic approach.

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 2001 films 2001 direct-to-video films 2001 horror films 2000s monster movies 2000s science fiction horror films American monster movies American natural horror films American science fiction horror films Direct-to-video horror films Direct-to-video sequel films Films about insects Films set in New York City Films directed by Jean de Segonzac Films with screenplays by Joel Soisson Dimension Films films 2001 directorial debut films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films