Lack of good storyline.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

In the bleak future the world has been ravaged by biological warfare. The rough'n'tumble David (a solid performance by Andrew Stevens, who also wrote and directed) has to race against time to find the necessary ingredients for a cure for a plague that's been decimating mankind. Matters are complicated when a pair of hideous deadly mutants get loose in an underground compound where a ragtag group of survivors are holed up. Stevens keeps the familiar, but still enjoyable story moving along at a snappy pace, maintains a grimly serious tone throughout, delivers a satisfying smattering of grisly gore and brutal violence, makes nice use of both the desolate desert and claustrophobic subterranean base main locations, draws the characters with some depth, and even tosses in a nasty monster rape scene along with smidgen of tasty bare female skin for extra trashy good measure. The sound acting by the competent cast further keeps this film on track: R. Lee Ermey as the hard-nosed Von Demming, Stella Stevens as no-nonsense doctor Kara, Chick Vennera as the rugged Kyle, Burton Gilliam as easygoing good ol' boy Dewitt, Clare Hoak as the feisty Ariel, Barbara Alyn Woods as sassy, but selfish redhead Sharon, Larry Gilman as the whiny Jamie, and Renee Jones as the spunky Robin. Both Terry Plumeri's moody score and Janusz Kaminski's slick cinematography are up to speed. A fun flick.

Granted that I haven't watched the first "The Terror Within" movie, or at least don't have any recollection of watching it, should I have watched it during my teenage years. But regardless, I was intrigued by the synopsis of the movie, and decided to take a chance on it despite it being from 1991.I should have gone with my gut instinct and stayed clear of this one. I managed to endure 35 minutes of this movie, before I gave up out of complete and utter boredom and a lack of interest in anything that happened on the screen.This was low budget in every sense of the meaning low budget. The creature design was just abysmal, and most of the time you didn't see anything more than a poorly constructed oversized hand made out of questionable material. And the guns that people fired had no fire spray at the muzzle, and didn't even leave holes in walls when being shot through thin sheets of plastic. It was just atrocious to bear witness to.The cast in "The Terror Within II" was relatively unknown to me, aside from R. Lee Ermey. Now that really puzzled me. How did they actually get him to participate in a movie such as this?From what I managed to witness during my 35 minutes of watching this ordeal of a movie, I suppose the storyline was about mankind struggling to survive in a harsh and barren world overrun with mutants. Now, it was that same synopsis that had me lured in, because it sounded very much like something akin to the Fallout games. It might have been so in theory, but turned out to be a much less effective thing on the screen.I have no intention of returning to finish watching this movie, and I also have no intention of going to sit down to watch the first movie. It just doesn't seem to be worth the time nor the effort.

Picking up from where the original left off (and it does go on to clear up loose ends) we see Andrew Steven's character David wandering through the desert heading for another underground scientific base that his team was originally in contact with in the first film. On the way there, he also picks up a lady survivor where they would become more than acquaintances with her soon expecting. Those survivors at the base are waiting on David, who holds a vaccine for the spreading virus, but what awaits them when David and the girl get there is hideous mutations.Roger Corman would also produce the sequel (that looks just as cheap) that came two years later with star Andrew Steven (who here had me thinking of him as a poor man's Kurt Russell) not only acting, but directing and also penning the material in another quite low-budgeted, muggy B-grade offering. Tick off; Mushy make-up effects, lousy props, a tad of nudity, clunky dialogues, junky set designs and gratuitously raw violence. At times it reminded me of the Corman produced alien clone --- "Forbidden World". Surprisingly I see this film cop a lot criticism when compared to the first, as I don't see it to be any worse. Sure I wouldn't call it a perfect movie, but in certain regards I enjoyed this follow-up more than the original film. On this occasion it tries to be slightly different in its ideas and execution, but still sharing similarities but consisting of more excitement. It does go on to rehash certain moments in the latter stages. However there seems to be a little more happening story wise (when focusing on Steven's character in the desert or that of a mutating finger from a gargoyle) and its quick tempo makes sure it doesn't wear out its welcome. Steven's practical handling startlingly generates energy and a bit of tension amongst the monster gruel. He's not as confined, but goes for more expansion despite the obvious limitations but these murky visuals/lighting makes for some much needed atmospherics. The cast are all committed with ever reliable R Lee Emery's commanding presence heading the way. Andrew Stevens (sporting a fashionable beard) is sturdy enough in the heroine role, Burton Gilliam is particularly amusing, Chick Vennera is fitting and Stella Stevens (yes that's Andrew's mother) is agreeably good too. What's this type of film without beautiful ladies; in the shape of knockouts Barbara Alyn Woods, Renée Jones and Clare Hoak.

Wow! The second one is just as stinky as the first entry. I really hope we don't see a third part. I caught this one on late night cable. I didn't really want to watch, but I didn't feel like watching infomercials about back hair removal. Although it may have been more appealing in the long run. Man it's sad that film had to be wasted twice on the Terror Within and Terror Within 2. Our government wants to root out evil, HEY, how about going after these film makers next!! Wake up and smell the coffee. These films SUCK BAD!! The acting, if you can call it that, is really horrible. Matter of fact it's scarier than the stupid mutant. I know people who make movies say that those who can't do, become critics...I know first hand. I made my own rotten horror film in the 1980's. It sucked as well. But not as bad as this!! Be smart. Pass this crap up! I would give it a big fat ZERO!! But 1 was the lowest. So a 1 it is!