Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) returns in It Lives Again (1978), Larry Cohen's sequel to It's Alive. This sequel is a true continuation of the story begun in the previous movie. As more mutant babies are being born, steps are being taken to destroy them at birth, but Frank has joined a group of scientists determined to save, protect, and study the babies which they view as a new step in human evolution making it possible for our species to survive a pollution filled future. There are three babies in this movie, and their rapid development and intelligence is explored a bit. Things go terribly wrong though when one of the babies rebels right at the moment when the two opposing groups collide in a deadly confrontation.
This sequel succeeds because it actually does advance the storyline, rather than simply rehash the original's plot points in a cash grab. This one is actually a smarter movie than the first, but lacks the central dynamic performance that Ryan brought to the original. Rick Baker's mutant babies get a bit more screen time this time around, but they're monstrous nature is more successfully delivered through the sound effects created for the babies' babble.
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