Food of the Gods II

Food of the Gods II, alternatively titled Gnaw: Food of the Gods II or Food of the Gods Part 2, is a 1989 Canadian science fiction film that serves as a loose follow-up to the 1976 movie The Food of the Gods, which was originally inspired by H.G. Wells' 1904 novel. The storyline of this sequel significantly departs from that of the original film.

The narrative centers on issues related to animal testing and the manipulation of growth, highlighting a serum that causes laboratory rats to become enormous. When applied to cancer cells, this serum leads to the rapid expansion of tumors.

Plot

Dr. Neil Hamilton examines an experimental growth serum created by his mentor, Dr. Kate Travis, which induces swift and aggressive enlargement in a young boy named Bobby. In pursuit of an antidote, Neil returns to his university laboratory, where animal-rights activists—including his partner Alex Reed—are protesting Prof. Edmund Delhurst’s contentious animal experiments aimed at developing a treatment for baldness.

Neil and his assistant Joshua administer the serum to lab rats. A group of activists (excluding Alex) infiltrate the lab, unintentionally freeing giant rats that kill one protester before escaping into the campus tunnels. Despite Neil’s alerts, university officials remain unconvinced; Dean White hires pest control specialists, assuming the creatures are ordinary rats.

The oversized rats cause multiple deaths, including that of an exterminator; surviving activists retreat. Efforts to contain the rats prove futile as they continue attacking faculty and visitors. Lieutenant Weizel becomes increasingly certain of the danger, yet Dean White refuses to shut down the campus ahead of a major sports complex inauguration. After Joshua falls victim to the rats, Neil confronts Dean White but is dismissed.

Delhurst absconds with the serum, experimenting on Neil’s pet rat Louise and cancer cells before accidentally infecting himself, succumbing rapidly to tumor growth. Neil obtains an antidote from the lab and uses it to eradicate Delhurst’s mutated body. Meanwhile, giant rats assault a swimming competition at the new sports facility, resulting in several fatalities including Dean White.

Neil leverages Louise’s heat cycle to attract male giant rats into a courtyard where Weizel’s team exterminates them. Neil informs Dr. Travis about the antidote; however, Bobby—now deranged and gigantic—kills Travis during their phone conversation and escapes.

Reception

Creature Feature awarded the film two out of five stars, criticizing its special effects as absurd. Paul Lê from Bloody Disgusting described Gnaw: Food of the Gods II as "delightfully trashy and sleazy" while also "highly entertaining." He observed that the film’s serious tone clashes with its ridiculous premise, generating unintentional comedic moments. Despite its shortcomings, Lê acknowledged that it improves upon aspects of the original and stands as an enjoyable example of B-movie cinema.