Tag line : The Worms have Turned.

Fred Ward returns, but Kevin Bacon doesn't, in this sequel to the original Tremors as another "Graboid" menace rears it's ugly head. This time, the Graboids have been preying on workers at an oil refinery down in Mexico, and so the company enlists the help of Earl Basset (Fred Ward) to help get rid of them.

Also returning is survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross), who's weapons antics put a whole new shine on the word overkill ("when you need it and don't have it you whistle a different tune"), who together with newcomer Grady Hoover (Chris Gartin) and scientist Kate Reilly (Helen Shaver) set about wiping out the Graboids in a series of cunning traps.

Unfortunately though, it seems the Graboids are not only getting smarter but are on the verge of a major evolutionary change, which is going to have some dire consequences for our intrepid heroes holed up inside the refinery complex.

Released to direct-to-video here in the UK, though not quite as good as the original, this is still a highly entertaining sequel that fans should enjoy. The film provides some good laughs and it's good to see Fred Ward and Michael Gross back in action again.

Overall marks : 6/10.

Other Information.

• Alternate tag line "Evolution, it's a bitch".

• The "big gun" Burt uses for "maximum penetration" was a 50 calibre L.A.R. Grizzley target gun.

• The centrefold seen on Earl's calendar, meant to be a younger version of Helen Shaver's character, was actually former Playboy model Debbie Ellison from September 1970, not actually October 1974 as said in the film. Trivia buffs may wish to note that the girl who featured on the real Playboy calendar in October 1974 was Esther Cordet, a dark skinned model from Panama, who looks nothing like Helen Shaver.

• The films budget was $4,000,000.

• Helen Shaver previously played Carolyn in the cult 1979 horror film "Amityville Horror".

• Set in Mexico, the film was actually shot in Valencia, California.

• The TV narrator on the war documentary Burt is watching when Earl calls was voiced by director SS Wilson.

• The oil refinery worker who gets eaten at the start of the film was stuntman Thomas Rosales, also a familiar character actor having appeared in, and done stunts for, many mainstream Hollywood films. From "Robocop 2" and "Predator 2" to  "Hulk" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".

• Originally there was scene showing Burt's truck surrounded by the new "Shrieker" Graboids, which he then takes out with his handguns. Unfortunately, they didn't have the budget for any more CGI work and the dummy Shriekers just didn't look right in the scene, so they were forced to cut it out. This scene is not included on the DVD as it's buried somewhere in the Universal archives and looks highly doubtful the producers will be able to dig it out again.

Cast & Crew.

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