In F/X, the Witness Protection Program asks make-up effects maven Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) to fake the public assassination of an informant (Jerry Orbach). All goes well until after the stunt is executed, at which point Rollie, as the man who knew too much, is targeted for termination by the very hands who hired him. Enter burnout police lieutenant Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy), who smells something rotten on the side of the law and becomes Rollie's only useful ally, although the two don't meet until the final moments of the film.

I generally stayed one step ahead of the hero, which is always a problem. I would've advised the fugitive Rollie not to drive around the city in a van that features his company logo emblazoned on its side. I would've also suggested that he not call the police after the first attempt on his life when they were his very betrayers. Still, Rollie is a faster thinker than most action heroes, and it is a thrill to watch a character on the lam using his skills to get out of a jam (a mirror here, some glue there); so often the protagonist's occupation is peripheral or altogether insignificant.

FX 2 (the dividing "/" mysteriously dropped) is more of the same, with an increase in hamfistedness. Rollie, now a hi-tech toy maker, controversially decides to help out the cops in a sleight of hand again ("Why not?" he shrugs, in a genuinely funny, sequel's-gotta-happen-somehow moment), is double-crossed again, and makes many dumb manoeuvres again. He has learned a few lessons, though: whisk the girlfriend (Rachel Ticotin) off to a safe place, and contact Leo (newly retired) before the shit really hits the fan. (In a nice touch, the thriller Rollie was working on at the beginning of F/X is playing in the background on a television in FX 2.)

The most remembered aspect of FX 2 is "Bluey," a telemetry-controlled (i.e. while you're wearing a special body suit it mimics your movements), life-size clown that comes in handy when attacking henchmen. I enjoyed watching Bluey kick ass, but his inclusion is kind of juvenile, as are the majority of Rollie's booby traps (e.g. an exploding can of beans); because the R-rated original was a smash on video, the filmmakers were pressured to deliver a PG-13 follow-up, and so this time around much of Rollie's handiwork has been charted with the kiddie demographic in mind.

The casting in both films is better than is typically the case for these B-grade high concept diversions. The Australian Bryan Brown, playing, blessedly, an expat (no forced accents here), has the look of an every-professional--I've also accepted him as a bartender and a masseuse--and is just handsome enough that we know who the star is. Dennehy, likewise, has a cop's face, and the teddy bear physique to match (oh Brian, where art thou these days?). And Jossie DuGuzman, a terrible actress, is nonetheless appealingly human in her ghastly specs and hair as a computer expert.

MGM has released F/X and FX 2 to DVD without first remastering them. This is worse for the former than it is for the latter. Letterboxed at 1.85:1, F/X sports good saturation and contrast, but severe edge-enhancement drastically undermines the picture quality. FX 2's image artificially shimmers, too, but there is an absence of fake grain, and the black level is rich. Colours skew towards orange in FX 2, as was the case for many early-nineties Orion transfers. Surround activity is almost nil for F/X, and FX 2 isn't much more enveloping, though it does utilize the bass channel often and features a variety of panning sounds.

Extras for both include full-frame versions on side "B" as well as their respective original theatrical trailers. FX 2 also comes with a collectible booklet. Unsolicited marketing opinion alert: given that there is no F/X 3 on the horizon, I think that MGM should've released F/X and FX 2 on the same disc as a double-feature, for FX 2 will probably end up collecting dust on store shelves.-Bill Chambers

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DVD VITALS:
Running Time
108/108 minutes
MPAA
R/PG-13
Aspect Ratio(s)
1.85:1/
Standard 1.33:1
Languages
English Dolby Surround,
Spanish Mono (F/X only)
CC
Yes
Subtitles
French, Spanish
DVD-10
Region One
MGM

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Published: June, 2000