History Film / TheFlyII

* MythologyGag: Martin's name calls to mind the protagonist of ''Film/CurseOfTheFly'', Martin Delambre. Both Martins are descendants of the original scientist who developed the teleporters and both have fly genes that may cause their doom.

* RecycledPremise: Of ''Film/ReturnOfTheFly'', the direct sequel to the 1958 film. Both have the SpinOffspring son of the predecessor's ill-fated scientist (who has spent much of his life unaware of exactly what happened to him) reviving his father's work and ending up undergoing much the same transformation he did -- much to the despair of his girlfriend, and no thanks to a seemingly supportive figure (an assistant in the older film) who wants to steal the teleportation technology. He goes after the villains, and [[spoiler: gets the happy ending his father could not]]. There are even similar small details: Both movies open with a scene establishing the demise of the female lead of the predecessor (in '58 with her funeral and in '89 with her DeathByChildbirth), while the third corner of the previous film's LoveTriangle is still alive, ''not'' enthused with the son picking up where the father left off but proving to be helpful nonetheless, and played by their original actor. The main differences lie in the nature of each protagonist's transformation — with Phillipe in ''Return of the Fly'' it's another TeleporterAccident; with Martin here it's a natural {{Metamorphosis}} due to being born as a mutant -- and the level of gore involved. Someone in 20th Century Fox's marketing department must have noticed this trope because the final trailer for this movie opens with a spiel involving the sound of a buzzing fly and the audience being asked if they can hear it — a '''verbatim''' lift from the ''Return of the Fly'' trailer!

* DeathByChildbirth / SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Veronica at the beginning.

* AscendedExtra: Bartok Industries. The company was only mentioned offhand a few times in the original movie, while it serves as the centerpiece of the sequel.

* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: At least when one compares what becomes of Martin to what became of his father. ''The Motion Picture Guide'''s review snarkily pointed out that in this movie, the sins of the father being visited on the son leads to, [[spoiler: despite racking up a significant body count and leaving Anton Bartok a helpless mutant, Martin getting a happy ending as a fully-human being. By comparison, Seth maimed two people and ''attempted'' a forced fusion with Veronica -- the latter of which was the moment he fully become a monster in all senses of the term -- and paid for that with his life when Laser-Guided Karma came calling]].

* ActorAllusion: Creator/EricStoltz's character's name is Martin Brundle, and the creature he transforms into is nicknamed "Martinfly." Eric was originally cast as Marty [=Mc=]Fly in ''Film/BackToTheFuture,'' until he was replaced by Creator/MichaelJFox. Interestingly enough, Creator/JeffGoldblum, who played Martin's father Seth in the [[Film/TheFly1986 original 1986 film]], was considered for the role of Doc Brown in ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' also until he was replaced by his ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension'' co-star Creator/ChristopherLloyd.

* DoomedTacticalTeam: When the fully transformed Martin escapes from captivity, Bartok's Security Force gets deployed to contain him in the compound, the Armed Guards who stood in Martin's way suffered a grim fate, from one having their face melted off, to another having his head squashed by an elevator, and the team leader Scorby having his spine snapped.

* EyeScream: At one point, during his transformation, [[spoiler: Martin ''pulls out his right eye to reveal an insect eye behind it'']]. Martin whilst also a mutant also destroys a Security Officer's eyes by vomiting acid into his face.

* EyeScream: At one point, during his transformation, [[spoiler: Martin ''pulls out his right eye to reveal an insect eye behind it'']].

* OnePasswordAttemptEver: Bartok Industries scientists attempt to activate Martin's telepods when he escapes. This is actually a case of ''Two'' Password Attempts Ever, because when they give the wrong password at the computer's prompt of '''WHAT'S THE MAGIC WORD?''', it gives them another chance, telling them, '''WARNING: INCORRECT RESPONSE WILL ACTIVATE TAPEWORM'''. Bartok understands that only Martin knows or would know the "magic word."

After the events of the previous film, Veronica Quaife, the lover of the late mutated scientist Seth Brundle, is carrying his child. They've been put into the care of Bartok Industries, the MegaCorp specializing in genetic research which initially financed Brundle's experiments. Its CEO Anton Bartok allows Veronica to die during delivery to obtain the baby. Naming the boy Martin, the child begins to develop at an accelerated rate. When Martin has physically become a young man, the mutations start to return and he becomes a threat to those around him.

* AudienceShift: Due to a new head at 20th Century Fox who hadn't seen its predecessor (according to producer Stuart Cornfeld), co-writer Mick Garris says "The studio wanted a teenage monster movie". So, rather than exploring such concepts as "insect politics" in an adults-only manner, this film — while still extremely gory — is a thematically LighterAndSofter story with clear-cut heroes and villains and a climax that encourages the audience to root for the monster.

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Anton Bartok acts like a kind father figure to Martin, and is very much the only person there who treats him kindly. But it's all a lie; he only sees Martin as a useful tool for his corporate interests.

* ChildProdigy: By the time he's mentally and physically become a preteen, Martin is bored by all the intellectual testing he's being put through by his overseers because it's all too easy for him, and prefers to work on his own projects. He is able to hack into computers and create his own security badge to explore Zone 4.
* CompositeCharacter: Like Philipe Delambre from Film/ReturnOfTheFly, Martin is the son of the original scientist who becomes a second fly-monster. His name and mutant aging condition seems to come from from Martin Delambre of Film/CurseOfTheFly, the scientist's grandson.

* LighterAndSofter: An exceptionally rare case of being both this trope ''and'' BloodierAndGorier; while much more overt violence and death occurs here compared to the original, the storyine is much more standard-fare for a monster movie and has something resembling a happy ending, as opposed to the deeply, emotionally distressing existential horror and hopelessness of its predecessor.

* PositivePetIdentification: During the rampage, dogs are released to find Martinfly. They sniff him out quickly enough but recognize him as the one who befriended them when he was a boy. Martinfly also recognizes them and his literal PetTheDog moment with one is the first sign that he's retained his humanity.

** Even though he [[TookALevelInJerkass transitions to being a straight]] {{Jerkass}} (though understandably a [[JerkassWoobie pitiful]] one), Stathis still have some JerkWithAHeartOfGold qualities left inside him carried from the original film such as his last words of encouragement towards Martin and Beth to find a cure after he makes it clear the Telepods are his only chance for one and offering his jeep to them to prevent them being easily tracked down by Bartok.

* HumanMomNonHumanDad: Martin's heritage; there's a reason the {{Tagline}} this time out was "Like father. Like son."

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: The first film was a 9 but this takes it up to 10 with an exponentially bigger body count, more maimings, and the fact that the audience is supposed to cheer on Martinfly's RoaringRampageOfRevenge. In the original, Seth's growing inhumanity and the cruelty he inflicted on others was treated as a tragic, horrifying fall from grace.