TREMORS II: AFTERSHOCKS (1996)

MORGAN'S RATING

They're back! The giant underground creatures that terrorized a desert town in Tremors are now plowing their way through Mexican oil fields, gobbling up everything and everyone around -- and only one man can stop them! In the style of its predecessor, this comedy sci-fi creature feature reunites Fred Ward as down-on-his luck Earl Basset and Michael Gross as gung-ho survivalist Burt Gummer, two desert desperados who take on the task of destroying the monsters. Partnered with them is Christopher Gartin, a young guy in need of kicks, cash, and a career change, and Helen Shaver, a sexy and intrepid scientist who's seen it all...until now. Together they devise an ingenious plan for tracking and killing the creatures. Tremors 2 is filled with high-speed action and plenty of laughs -- until the predators wise up.

Fred Ward (Earl Basset), Christopher Gartin (Grady Hoover), Helen Shaver (Kate Reilly / Oct. 74 Play mater), Michael Gross (Burt Gummer), Marcelo Tubert (Senor Ortega), Marco Hernandez (Julio, Kate's Assistant), Jose Ramon Rosario (Pedro, Chief Engineer), Thomas Rosales Jr. (Oil Worker), Kate White, S.S. Wilson (War Documentary Narrator, uncredited).

THE WORMS HAVE TURNED...

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: S.S. Wilson (Tremors 4: The Legend Begins). WRITERS: Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson, and based on the characters created by Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson and Ron Underwood.  PRODUCERS: Christopher DeFaria and Nancy Roberts. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Brent Maddock and Ron Underwood. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Jay Ferguson. DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures.

QUOTES

Grady: We're gonna haul his ass off to monster world.

FACTS

Grady: You mean they've been acting so smart because they're so stupid.

RELEASE DATE: April 9th, 1996 (USA) (VIDEO PREMIERE) BUDGET: $4 million (USA) - Followed by two sequels: Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001) and Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2003).

Burt Gummer: I am completely out of ammo. That's never happened to me before.

[about a groaning Graboid] Earl Basset: Must be sick. Grady: Probably ate someone that didn't agree with it.

[Burt has just blown up a Graboid.] Burt: Memo: four pounds of C-4 may be a bit -- [pebbles rain down onto his helmet] Burt: excessive.

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Starts out as the typical sequel simply offering more of the same, but it claims its own ground by introducing a new, smaller, faster, breed of Graboids, which are very well realized through a mix of full size puppets, animatronics and CGI." -- John Thonen, Cinescape

Burt Gummer: I feel I was denied critical need-to-know information.

Earl Basset: You know, you might come in useful. While they are eating you it will give me a chance to get away.

Earl Basset: Man Burt, you put a whole new shine on the word 'overkill'. Burt Gummer: When you need it, and don't have it...you sing a different tune.