Spiders 2: Breeding Ground (2001)

I had high hopes for this, after the cheesefest of the original Spiders and a promising trailer. A young couple are rescued by a huge cargo ship which contains no cargo. But it does contain a mad doctor who implants mutant spider eggs in human hosts in his high-tech lab. There are giant spiders (represented by hairy spider-leg puppets, and some of the worst CGI I’ve ever seen), laughable dialogue, some cheesy gore, and the mad doctor is a campy delight. The final half hour of the film is an absolute hoot.

That said, you have to get through an hour of mostly ‘story’ and ‘drama’ first, with very few glimpses of big hairy monsters. That hour isn’t terrible as a film, but someone watching this for the camp value (like me) might get bored. I found myself looking at the clock several times wondering when the fun would start.

If the pace were better, and the rest of the film was more like the last section, it would be high on my list of favourites. But I don’t think I could be bothered to watch it again.

Spiders II: Breeding Ground AKA Spiders 2 is sometimes shown on UK television, and is also available to purchase from amazon.co.uk, play.com and other retailers.

Spiders II: Breeding Ground/2001/Nu Image Films/Dir: S Firstenberg/Prod: B Davidson, D Lerner, D Varod