"Be afraid. Be very afraid."
Super smart Jeff Goldblum is a loner scientist who secretly creates a
working matter transporter. It works fine on inanimate objects and even
smaller animals, but he's never tried it on a human. One night after getting all
butthurt over his girlfriend, he strips down completely asshole naked and
successfully transports himself...and a house fly that accidentally got inside
the pod. That's probably why you should put your matter transporter in a Class 1
clean room and not your poorly lit loft.
Even worse is the computer controlling the transporter is so stupid that instead
of Goldblum simply absorbing the fly it...genetically splices his DNA
and the fly's. Stupid computer! At first, he doesn't realize what's
happening and thinks that his new found super strength and ability to hop all
around the place like a acrobat is just a positive benefit of being recreated in
the transporter. Soon though he starts to think differently, like when he has to
vomit acid on his food before slurping it up and when his ears fall off.
Throughout all of this, the world's most dedicated girlfriend sticks by him and
tries to help him, but he turns into a complete asshole and she eventually
bails. He's not happy about that.
For 1986 the special effects are very impressive, especially the slow
Goldblum/fly transformation. That fly looked dope as fuck! The story
though...it's a little bit too simplistic. I'm not sure what else I
wanted, but just more. I really really liked the middle of the film
when Goldblum was first starting to transform and going out on the town and
acting like an asshole. I definitely wish that section was longer.
As it is though, THE FLY is a great remake and 100% worth watching. Steady
pace, fantastic special effects, a Slayer jacket, a Motorhead jacket, weaponized
vomit,
extremely brief nudity, solid acting, David Cronenberg sighting, Mel Brooks as an uncredited
Producer, the two main characters both saying "Cheeseburger." while
flashing their fingers outward.
Even though this version was an updated remake of the 1958 original I'd like to
see yet another remake / reboot that takes the story even further!
Original - The Fly (1958)
Original Part 2 - Return of the Fly (1959)
Original Part 3 - Curse of the Fly (1965)
Part 2 - The Fly II (1989)