The following is a fevered sermon by yours truly when the video release of this sequel was tee-heed by fellow DVD Talkers earlier this year:

"Whether a film was released in theaters or not isn't a fair judge of its entertainment value. Sadly, the gate to theatrical release has become increasingly narrowed. Studios, more than ever before, refuse to take chances on movies they deem 'less marketable.' And when the suits do take that chance they're quick to change the flick to appease the base whims of a random group of yahoos pulled off the street. The gate narrows even more when it comes to the actual theaters themselves. We have mega-plexes now, but they're showing the same flick on 10 screens. It's usually the flick that's been drilled into our heads as the must-see movie by the studio's relentless media promotion (whose parent companies often own an interest in the film). Many of these pictures that folks look down their nose at -- because they're, gasp, 'direct-to-video' -- actually get released in THEATERS overseas. At least those moviegoers have the option. But somewhere down the line, someone decided FOR ME that Mimic 2 (2000, 82 minutes) wasn't marketable enough for me to enjoy in a U.S. theater. I know I'm in the minority here, but as someone who loves movies, it's disappointing to see the playing field getting smaller. More than that, it's distressing to see films ridiculed simply because they're too small, or their perceived market value isn't enough to earn the attention of the Hollywood corporate machine. Now, if you'll all turn in your hymnals to 231 and join me in singing, 'Then Again, Maybe Mimic 2 Just Stinks.' "

The movie: Back in the original, Mira Sorvino saved the lives of thousands of New York City kiddos who'd been struck down by a disease spread by cockroaches. Her genetically-engineered Judas bugs decimated the diseased roaches and all was thought to be dandy, until the Judi mutated into man-sized beasties who savoured snacking on the homeless. Mira did her darndest to clean up after herself, of course, even if it meant breaking a nail or two. In the sequel, we're past all that unpleasantness and find Remi (Alix Koromzay) from the first picture teaching school children about the wonderful world of entomology, and after class, struggling to find a beau who won't make her cry. She's an awkward gal who gravitates toward similarly troubled students like young Sal (Gaven Lucas) who is always finding excuses to stay after class. The Mimics scurry out the sewers and begin stalking Remi, and unbeknownst to her, chow on suitors they consider not worthy of her affection. A trail of icky corpses leads pretty-boy Detective Klaski (Bruno Campos) to Remi who he finds to be a less than ideal murder suspect. It finally dawns on her that something may be awry when the Mimics invade and infest PS 400, which at last gives her entomology expertise a real-life application. CineSchlockers will recognize Jon Polito from countless roles as heavies and no-nonsense authority figures like the eccentric publisher on "The Chronicle" TV series.

Notables: No breasts. Seven corpses. Exploding cab. Gratuitous iguana. Feel coping. Three-man bug stomp. Amateur photography. Gratuitous government goons.

Quotables: Remi deflects a pass made by a former student who can't understand why they can't date, "The problem starts with jail time and goes downhill from there." She becomes similarly annoyed when being accused of murder, "You're wagging your antenna in the wrong direction, Lieutenant!" While no one can really fathom her bug fixation, "You really like these crusty little bastards, huh?"

Time codes: Fantastically disgusting gooey skull (5:12). Remi has dinner with horn-dog Father Phil from "The Sopranos" (14:35). A good old fashioned monster mash (40:45).

Audio/Video: Solid image quality throughout this widescreen (1.85:1) print with very little grain. The thunderous Dolby Digital 5.1 track is teeming with the clacks and clicks of the pesky critters, while maintaining a crisp level for dialogue.

Extras: There's five minutes of deleted scenes. A couple of which actually magnify a major plot point, but here action is justly valued more than clarity. The 20-minute featurette "5 Days of Mimic" takes viewers on set during production. Ms. Koromazy is found strumming her guitar while CineSchlocker favorite Gary Tunnicliffe demonstrates how his FX makeup appliances are quickly prepared and put into action -- like the massive chest laceration he calls "insta-wound." Tunnicliffe also takes us through some cool bug effects and at one point beams, "We're the Dominos of horror!" Attaboy, Gary. While the production team works a little blue when jokingly referring to bug splatter as "splooge." There's also a separate featurette on sound mixing that's fairly thorough and definitely of interest. Static menus without audio. Trailer gallery featuring Mimic, The Yards, Immortality, Dracula 2000, Hellraiser: Inferno and promos for the Scream and From Dusk Til Dawn boxed sets.

Final thought: Not only does it NOT stink, this is one of the best slimed-out creature features to ooze into living rooms in a long while. Highly Recommended.