As one who remembers the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, I was hoping that the special effects would have improved after 55 years. Well, the improvement was not worth the viewing. I suppose the 1993 made for TV version will still be the ‘next best thing’. Ms. Jenna Sims was respectable as Cassie, the cheerleader, although her general beauty was as poorly concealed in the beginning as her beast implants were in the end. Ms. Olivia Alexander had the role of character with the most attitude, head cheerleader Brittany, though Treat Williams went sufficiently over-the-top as the pharma-mercinary. Sean Young played ‘mom’ by Skyping-in her performance, literally. Everyone else was either adequately camp or, sometimes, momentarily cute. The best scenes were also the shortest.
The one thing that I do not understand if the use of remanufactured breasts. If you are going to show bosoms, the show ones that look real. Ms. Sims, an otherwise lovely lady, displayed breasts that would shame most plastic surgeons. Most of the others topless actresses were similarly endowed. The most nuanced and effective character was Mary Woronov as the house mother, who was part Masterpiece Theater and part House of Horrors.
As for the plot, yes there was a plot, the story held up. University research onto cell regeneration turns into an overblown disaster. Of course, people growing and shrinking like balloons was completely implausible, but that was par for the movie. The pharma angle, which included clown-like pharma-enforcers was the only truly camp acting that held up, mostly thanks to Treat. The chemistry between the Ryan Merriman character, Kyle, and Cassie was as contrived as the pink serum that made her grow. The big finale might have worked if the special effects had really held their own.
One last mention of Sean Young, if you are old enough to remember Ms. Young in Blade Runner (when it premiered), then this movie will make you quite sad. Still a looker, the actress who played Jenna’s mom was a total waste in this production. If you looked closely, you could still see tiny hints of the actress who was so compelling in Jane Austen in Manhattan and No Way Out. However, you had to look though a microscope, which is a hard way to watch a movie. Such is life.
