F/X2 - The Deadly Art of Illusion
The surprise hit F/X (1986) spawned an even more successful sequel
Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy, who played Rollie and Leo in the action movie F/X, teamed up again in the hit sequel F/X 2 (1991). 17 years on, the film remains a classic.
Gathering the Old Faces
Both the stars of the original film, Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy were committed to the sequel of the 1986 action thriller from an early stage. But one face from the first film, Director Robert Mandel, was replaced. Lethal Weapon helmer Richard Franklin had built a strong reputation in Hollywood for sure-fire winners in the action genre, both at the box-office and with critics and was therefore the natural successor to Mandel. The fanbase gained by F/X: Murder by Illusion meant that any concerns over the format of the film's title (a worry first time around) no longer existed. F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion kept the title sounding similar to the previous film and guaranteed recognition amongst the film's legion of fans. Both the writers attached to F/X returned to pen the follow-up, namely Robert T. Megginson and Gregory Fleeman.
Second Time Around
F/X 2 retains many of the features of the first film, with sparkling wit, frantic action scenes and the theme of revenge all in place. Living in a self-enforced retirement due to the tragic death of his girlfriend first time around, we catch up with Rollie Tyler five years on. Rollie has a new girlfriend, a stepson who adores him and a lucrative sideline in children's gadgets. The first act centres on Rollie's reluctance to work for the police in catching a serial slasher, being - understandably - mistrusting of the situation due to his past. Eventually persuaded to do the right thing, he invents the classic special-effect to beam a digital image of a model into the bathroom to lure the criminal to their door. The set-up goes badly wrong, and distraught at his misplaced trust in the police, Rollie runs for help. Leo McCarthy has since left the police force and opened a bar, but we find the other hero of the film at a loose end, and therefore only too happy to help Rollie out in his quest for the truth.
The Magic Returns
With the returning themes of corruption and crooked cops on the agenda, the tension in the script is matched with a lively score by Lalo Schifrin, who also created the soundtracks for Dirty Harry, Bullitt, and the world-famous Mission : Impossible theme. The special effects somehow manage to eclipse the spectacular array of explosions and illusions in the first film. With the creation of Bluey, a robotic clown who is controlled by the wearing of a telemetry suit, F/X 2 came up with an ingenious way of choreographing a three-person fight scene with only two actors. The scenes involving Bluey add a real charm to the film, and preserve the magical art of illusion that was captured previously. Brown and Dennehy have an excellent chemistry on screen, and the duo's adventures in an inventive action thriller make this a real treasure, to be re-discovered long after its cinematic release.
