Movie Notes: The Fly

March 26th, 2008

= 4 stars

Starring Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis
Directed by David Cronenberg

Synopsis

Eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) shows a revolutionary teleportation device to reporter Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis). Unfortunately, Seth’s DNA becomes fused with a fly in an lab accident, and he slowly morphs into a horrific fly-human hybrid.

The Good

• Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum give their characters an uncharacteristic emotional resonance. Davis in particular does an interesting job alternately caring for and being totally disgusted by Jeff’s gradual transformation.
• Goldblum plays a great nerd. I enjoyed the scene where he explains his five suits that are all exactly alike for reasons of efficiency, so he can use his brain contemplating more practical things. He also does a fine job shifting from an initial scientific fascination with his new found powers, to total insanity from what he’s changing into.
• The film soon becomes a relatively believable and highly amusing Beauty and the Beast situation, where “Brundle-fly” essentially says: “I’m just a fly, standing here, asking you to love me…”

The Bad

• Starting with the inside-out baboon, the grossness factor began to wear on me. The all-out disgusto-fest climax with fly vomit, dissolving appendages, and a walking stick-like insectoid creature went too far. So the fly is gross — I get it!
• There are some seriously classic so-bad-they’re-good moments like Seth’s discovery of super fly libido and the arm wrestling scene.

Conclusion

While The Fly began well and has some fine acting, I felt it devolved (no pun intended) into senseless gore in its final scenes. Was it really necessary to show a man’s arm and leg dissolved by fly vomit? Possibly. But it’s a horror flick — what was I expecting?

As for David Cronenberg — I’m not as into his fascination for throbbing organs and schlock horror. But his subject matter of oddball nerdy types is certainly appealing.

I learned there’s a Fly II. I think I’ll skip that one.

IMBD: The Fly
Wikipedia: The Fly
Rotten Tomatoes: The Fly 91%