Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The original F/X was a moderately successful movie. It certainly wasn't anything great but it did have unmistakable quirkiness in regards to how it approached the action genre. This sequel took five years to follow it, which does seem quite slow by the standards of the day. It teamed up the duo of Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy again, the former playing the lead character, special effects artist Rollie Tyler.The film opens once again with another amusing opening that turns out to be a film-within-a-film, featuring a transvestite alien lunatic. The story kicks into gear when Rollie's police detective friend is killed on a sting he was roped into. He has evidence of foul play though, so he joins forces with his private investigator buddy to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. Truthfully, the story is not very good and ultimately is only there to serve as a means to connect various action and jovial banter scenes together. In fairness, like the first movie, there are some entertainingly different action scenes to enjoy. Especially good was the robot clown fight, which was a refreshingly different way to approach an action movie punch up; also amusing was the shop sequence where the bad guy is finally dispatched when he has his head mechanically cellophaned like a supermarket chicken! But all-in-all, irrespective of these occasional original moments, F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion is nothing to get too excited about. It's a passably entertaining action flick and no more really.

You can only appreciate this sequel if you saw the first one as there are so many references to it. Whereas the first one was quirky, original and well produced this one isn't. It's just OK.There are too many silly behaviours and plot holes to mention like leaving the killer to get up and walk away for no good reason when they could easily have got him. Plus its full of the usual clichés. The two actors are wasted in a film with much lower production costs. It looks and feels a bit cheap. Even the so called special effects aren't up to much.The actors work well together but I think Dennehy is the one that adds character and depth and saves the film.So all in all a disappointment. I'll be watching the first one again sometime but not this one.

Special effects genius Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is lured back into the world of creating illusion in "F/X2" also starring Brian Dennehy and Rachel Ticotin. It's five years since Rollie quit the film business; now he's a toy-maker with a new girlfriend, Kim (Ticotin). When Kim's ex-husband, Mike (Tom Mason), a police officer, asks for Rollie's help in catching a killer, he reluctantly agrees. Through no fault of Rollie's, Mike ends up dead and Rollie has the proof that Mike was set up. This puts Rollie in danger - deja vu. He makes a desperate call to Leo, and the two team up again.This time around, the plot is a somewhat far-fetched, the emphasis being more on action. There are some very exciting scenes as well as some ingenious toys, including a toy clown that figures prominently in the plot. Brown and Dennehy have incredible chemistry. They're a joy to watch. My old classmate, Josie DeGuzman (here spelled Josie) is back as Leo's secret weapon in the department. Being predominantly a theater actress, her performance is somewhat stagy but she's no less likable. Joanna Gleason plays an assistant DA.Clever effects, the great re-teaming of Brown and Dennehy, and very entertaining.

I first saw this movie years ago on TV and have loved it ever since. I saw the original a couple of months back, and I must say I was disappointed. FX2, however is thoroughly enjoyable, with great actors, exciting action sequences (especially the supermarket scene) brilliant special effects and includes several humorous scenes as well. If you saw the original, liked the concept but didn't enjoy the movie, check out FX2, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Right from the opening horror movie sequence, right to the battle at the end, FX2 is a fantastic movie that has put itself back on top after the disappointing original. 9/10