Leo McCarthy
Created by Robert T. Megginson & Gregory Fleeman

In F/X2, the obligatory -- but quite effective -- sequel to the 1986 surprise hit F/X, effects wiz man Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is now out of the movie biz, and seriously into what he refers to as "toys." But he gets roped in to helping the cop ex-husband of his girlfriend set up an elaborate sting to nail a killer. When it all goes terribly awry, with both the cop and the suspect murdered, Rollie turns to LEO McCARTHY (Brian Dehenny), the cop from the last movie, who's now sporting private tin, for help.

For a sequel, it's surprisingly engaging, with Dennehy (who was born to play a P.I.) and Brown (who actually did play one in the excellent The Empty Beach) in fine form, with more twists and turns than a plate of spaghetti, and some fine over-the-top malarkey about the Mob out to swipe some gold medallions from the Vatican , an apparently indestructible hitman, an explosive supermarket and Rollie's latest toy, The Fighting, Animitronic Klown.

A goofy, giddy P.I. flick, good dumb fun, nowhere near as bad as it could have been, though it really, really trries.

UNDER OATH

• "It's not every film... that includes both booby-trapped baked beans and a robotic clown piloting a helicopter."
  (Roger Ebert)

FILM

• F/X2: The DEADLY ART OF ILLUSION. Buy this video . Buy this DVD
  (1991, Orion)
  108 minutes
  Tagline: Outgunned by the mob, outmanned by the cops..... their effects had better be special!
  Based on characters created by Robert T. Megginson & Gregory Fleeman
  Screenplay by Bill Condon
  Directed by Richard Franklin
  Produced by Dodi Fayed, Jack Wiener
  Executive producers: Bryan Brown, Lee R. Mayes ....
  Starring Bryan Brown as Rollie Tyler
  and Brian Dennehy as LEO McCARTHY
  Also starring Rachel Ticotin, Joanna Gleason, Philip Bosco, Kevin J. O'Connor, Tom Mason, Dominic Zamprogna, Jossie DeGuzman, John Walsh, Peter Boretski, Lisa Fallon, Lee Broker, Philip Akin, Tony De Santis, Ross Petty

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.