Watchers II (1990) – Thierry Notz.

'I told you to stay out of the basement!!!!!'

AWOL marine Paul (Marc Singer) meets (almost) cutely with supremely gifted canine Einstein, unaware that they are being hunted by a grossly deformed mutant anthropoid assassin, compelled to destroy the dog and kill any who befriend it. I'm not a super-fan of the Corey Haim/Michael Ironside original, but I still appreciate it, and by casting the iconic Beastmaster in its explosive sequel, with its genetically enhanced beasts feels entirely appropriate, factor in Tracy Scoggins, the lovely Irene Miracle, and you have an eminently watchable treat. Dynamic 90s DTV Sci-splatter Watchers II begins kinetically, rigorously maintaining momentum until its no less zesty climax. While unabashedly midnight movie fare, Thierry Notz's high-voltaged Sci-actioner frequently exemplifies all that is truly compelling about thrillingly bloody, slam bang, Sci-fi/horror pulp!

The horror movie sequels that prove successful are usually those that ultimately replay the strengths of the original, and Watchers II presents the far from ubiquitous example of a sequel proving to be demonstratively more entertaining than the original. It is certainly no surprise that Watchers II's credibility comes from the engaging screen chemistry between Tracy Scoggins, a buff Marc Singer, and Einstein, the adorably precocious Golden retriever. For me, Watchers II boisterously ticked all the right boxes, likeable, sympathetic heroes, muscular, bullet-blasted action, gnarly monster, a whip-crack pace, and a brusingly violent, yet demonstrably pathos-adjacent finale. If there proved to be a spankingly remastered Blu-ray edition of Watchers 1 & 2, I'd be all over it like shill reviews on Trust Pilot.