Baby 2: It’s Alive!
93 minutes. Rated R.
Arriving with great fanfare just in time for summer comes Baby 2: It’s Alive!.
This long awaited sequel is sure to be this year’s blockbuster hit with the legion of fans generated by the original, Baby: The Birthening, just over four years ago.
Opening night was a midnight session at a hospital, an appropriate setting for such scenes of sheer horror.
The opening car chase sequence and its accompanying stream of obscenities promises thrilling drama, but it’s decidedly downhill from there. The plot is almost a direct retread of the first one; it’s as if the creators have already run out of ideas.
During the first Baby I remember being sweaty, pale and coming close to throwing up a couple of times. And while newcomers will find that the shocks are still there, those familiar with the first Baby will find this one lacks the same edge.
Oh sure, there’s plenty of gratuitous nudity and painful things bodies just shouldn’t do. This time though, it’s all so predictable – the screaming, the blood, the clichéd ending.
My main criticism is that the gore was unnecessarily heavy-handed. I understand the blood, but did there have to be poop too? The scene where an umbilical cord is hacked in twain with a pair of blunt scissors will live on in this reviewer’s memory for some time to come, not to mention a stitching scene that would have Human Centipede fans feeling a little squeamish. Some things can’t be unseen.
On the plus side, just when you think the tension can’t get any more intense, the titular baby arrives. Played by a newcomer, this cameo is the highlight of the Baby experience. It’s an understatement to say this kid has a bright future. Soon after his arrival it was just a matter of cleaning up a few loose ends.
The running time was a very taut 90 minutes, which is a triumph.
Baby 2 reportedly had a tough gestation; The crew were stretched to their limits and several actresses, including Scarlett Johannsen, turned down the leading role. The project was also beset by budget issues with each project soaking up more than $250,000. Those sorts of figures will have a huge bearing on whether the franchise continues.
Although one of the producers swore “Never again” at various times during production, she’s already in talks about a third. The original Baby, a girl, was a cult hit; this time the producers opted for a boy, a calculated move aimed purely at reaching a more mainstream audience. If the third gets the green light, can I suggest they at least attempt to provide some kind of twist in the ending – black baby perhaps?
Initial reviews have been impressive. Its supporters claim it delivers an improvement that builds on the original and argue that it’s a must-see for family and friends. Frankly, I just felt ill most of the time.
Overall, Baby 2 is not for the faint-hearted. It makes for a reasonable night’s entertainment but the novelty wears off pretty quickly.
2 stars.
