It had been thirteen years since the last Re-Animator feature; "Bride of Re-Animator". So producer / director Brian Yuzna would return to the helm along with Jeffrey Combs (stolidly in touch) reprising his signature role as mad scientist Dr. Herbert West, who's risky ambitions leaves a lot of bloody corpses twitching over. The sequels were never a patch on the original, but "Bride" and "Beyond" are solid enough follow-ups. Again the low-budget "Beyond" virtually keeps the same ideas and structure as the previous entries, but this time gives it a change of scenery. It's confined as West is back to his old ways, but behind bars.After the Miskatonic University massacre Dr. Herbert West was sentenced to prison after having state's evidence turned against him by his former assistant. After serving thirteen years, he meets the new prison doctor Dr. Howard Phillip who wants him to be his assistant, but the real motivation for choosing West is for his work on re-animating corpses. Phillip's sister was killed by one of West's creations and he witnessed it. So the pair go about continuing these experiments, despite the sadistic prison warden and a snooping newspaper reporter who Dr. Phillip seems to fancy.The gore, nastiness and macabre dark humour is still pumping through the veins, as Yuzna injects it with the glowing green elixir for it to really lurch out. The plot doesn't offer much in the way of surprises, as usual a female comes between the men and their work in what only ends in tragedy. "Watch out for her. She's trouble." The script manages to expand on West's theories, which helps it move forward, but Yuzna never loses sight of its unpleasant and monstrous details. Screaming Mad George come up with the ghastly creations and delivers some creative F/X work. It really comes in to its own during the chaotically bloody prison riot stages, but even the opening of the film is a twisted delight. The performances are modest by Jason Berry and Elsa Pataky, but Simon Andreu is good fun as the Warden. While Combs just can't don anything wrong."Beyond Re-Animator" is exaggerated schlock for those desiring a cheap hit."I want to help people. Not create mindless freaks."

Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is now in prison, but he continues his experiments. The prison doctor is fascinated with his work, and soon they begin to explore the next phase: not just reanimating, but giving people back their souls.The movie was shot in Barcelona, Spain with all Spanish actors besides Jeffrey Combs (American) and Jason Barry (Irish). Apparently, Brian Yuzna now lives in Spain. It was filmed in a prison in Valencia that had been built for Franco to keep political prisoners. Elsa Pataky (Spanish model and girlfriend to a motorcycle racer) is crazy hot with those bangs.Yuzna watched "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Penitentiary" for visual inspirations, and visited three prisons in Oregon to get a sense of what prisoner life was like. The movie is not related to HP Lovecraft's work, but still works as an homage with Arkham State Penitentiary and Dr. Howard Philips.There is something of a cheap feeling to the movie, not surprising with it being another sequel and made in Spain, where the budget is probably lower. But overall it remains entertaining, and if this is how the series has to end (which at this point seems likely), I am okay with that.The DVD has an excellent commentary and a really funny music video.

Highly entertaining addition to the Reanimator series. Let's be honest here, by this point you've figured out whether you like Reanimator movies or not, and this one will in no way change your mind one way or the other. It's pretty gory throughout, though it loses its way a bit towards the end with too much running around the prison it's set in, and not a lot actually happening. The nipple biting scene is great, and will have most squirming. Also, there's a very amusing kinky nurse and an impossibly angry lead man. All round good fun.' Screaming Mad George' effects too, so you know you are in for a visual treat.

I am a big fan of horror movies and actually made a mistake when I bought this movie second hand. I didn't check the title that well and was convinced I was buying the original. My disappointed was gone very soon. I admit that the acting is horrendous but strangely this just gives the movie more of it's charm. Elsa Pataky is stunning in her role and the gore in this movie is just so over the top it makes you smile while watching horrible things happen to people. All in all without spoiling anything I can encourage everyone to watch this movie. This could become a genuine cult classic. I agree that this term is used way to much, but if you liked Braindead by Peter Jackson you will adore this movie. What I kept wondering is how they got up with the scene when the credits are rolling...that was just amazingly funny stuff.