It's been 25 years since the Great Tomato War and tomatoes are still banned throughout the country. But up a mountain road, behind guarded gates, a terrible plot is being hatched. Professor Gangreen, a mad scientist, is turning tomatoes into perfect replicas of men and women. Read more
| Starring | John Astin, Anthony Starke, George Clooney, Karen Mistal |
|---|---|
| Director | John De Bello |
| Genres | Comedy |
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It's been 25 years since the Great Tomato War and tomatoes are still banned throughout the country. But up a mountain road, behind guarded gates, a terrible plot is being hatched. Professor Gangreen, a mad scientist, is turning tomatoes into perfect replicas of men and women.
| Starring | John Astin, Anthony Starke, George Clooney, Karen Mistal, Steve Lundquist, Charlie Jones |
|---|---|
| Director | John De Bello |
| Studio | CINEMA CLUB |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins Watch now: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | DVD: |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English Watch Online: English |
| Subtitles | DVD: None |
| Released | DVD: 07 Jun 2004 Watch now: 06 Oct 2009 Production year: 1988 |
| Watch now | £2.49 |
| Format | DVD |
As Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was a big video rental (solely because of its catchy title), a belated sequel was commissioned and it is even worse than the original. Professor Gangrene (John Astin) turns a tomato into a sexy babe by playing music at it and plans to take over the world with a bevy of similarly exposed red fruits. Stupid send-ups of popular TV commercials and movies (two Spielbergs get satirised — 1941 and ET) mix uneasily with broad science-fiction farce in director John DeBello's charmless wonder, which is only notable for an early appearance by future heart-throb George Clooney.
The original Attack of the Killer Tomatoes has the distinction of making several Worst Movies Ever Made lists, and when it eventually comes out on DVD I want to watch it on the grounds that it's likely to be so bad it's hilarious. Return of the Killer Tomatoes has been released first purely because it co-stars a *very* young George Clooney, already demonstrating his potential by sending up the material even more than his other cast members (who also do a good job, in the spirit definitely intended by the director, who was out to make a spoof).
We enjoyed it a lot, so why only three stars? Well, it would have had two, except that it managed to send itself up suitably, which raised it a notch. But it tends to fall between two stools a little too much. The script and direction stop it from being a truly brilliant spoof, while the knowingness mean it can't be classed as a genuine attempt to be serious that goes horribly - and hilariously - wrong (think Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves).
But that shouldn't put you off. It's great entertainment if you're in the mood for something utterly silly and really very funny in places. Wash down with a glass of wine and some popcorn. Oh, and George looked pretty cute when he was young, for those who like that kind of thing.
The original Attack of the Killer Tomatoes has the distinction of making several Worst Movies Ever Made lists, and when it eventually comes out on DVD I want to watch it on the grounds that it's likely to be so bad it's hilarious. Return of the Killer Tomatoes has been released first purely because it co-stars a *very* young George Clooney, already demonstrating his potential by sending up the material even more than his other cast members (who also do a good job, in the spirit definitely intended by the director, who was out to make a spoof).
We enjoyed it a lot, so why only three stars? Well, it would have had two, except that it managed to send itself up suitably, which raised it a notch. But it tends to fall between two stools a little too much. The script and direction stop it from being a truly brilliant spoof, while the knowingness mean it can't be classed as a genuine attempt to be serious that goes horribly - and hilariously - wrong (think Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves).
But that shouldn't put you off. It's great entertainment if you're in the mood for something utterly silly and really very funny in places. Wash down with a glass of wine and some popcorn. Oh, and George looked pretty cute when he was young, for those who like that kind of thing. ;-)