Hatchet 2

Starring:Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, Perry Shen, Alexis Peters

Synopsis:

SPOILER FOR THE ORIGINAL FILM’S ENDING: Picking up exactly where the previous film left off: Marybeth barely manages to escape the clutches of Victor Crowley, only to discover that she is inextricably linked to the original tragedy concerning Victor and his family. Turning to Reverend Zombie (Todd) for help, a posse is formed to go into the swamp and take care of Victor once and for all – but Reverend Zombie has an ulterior motive...

I mentioned in my review of Hatchet that Adam Green managed to abstain from using visual references to previous iconic horror movies, instead giving cameos to Tony Todd and Robert Englund to act as his horror touchstones.

Hatchet 2 makes a big visual reference right at the start of the film, by continuing from the exact moment the previous film finished, thereby inviting comparison with Halloween II (and for my money, Fritt Vilt II!). However while Halloween and its sequel managed to keep Jaimie Curtis, the character of Marybeth transforms from Tamara Feldman into Danielle Harris!

Sequels usually tend to try to be bigger versions of the original film. Adam Green uses the sequel as an opportunity to expand and embellish the mythology surrounding Victor Crowley, giving his origins a more supernatural Cajun flavour rather than being merely a tragic result of inbreeding.

The story also gives more background on the circumstances of the disastrous boat trip from the previous film, and brings back Perry Shen, as the brother of the young tour guide he played in the previous film. Tony Todd has a blast here as Reverend Zombie. He was funny in the previous film, and manages to recapture the character.

While Hatchet 2 misses the excellent comedy elements which made the first film such a blast, the sequel does manage to introduce a bunch of new characters and their interactions are pretty funny. Scenes such as Chad and Cleatus ragging on each other about their names, and the sex-talk between Layton and Avery keeps everything from getting too serious. There’s also a nice brief callback for Misty and Jenna.

The original film had a pretty high mortality rate (most modern horror films have an optimum number of five potential victims), and to try and top this would crowd out the film, so instead it more or less matches the bodycount. Most of the kills are, like the first film, viscious and bloody, but perhaps not as mean-spirited. The kill scenes were pretty decent and once again gory as hell but i found myself taken out of the film at one point when an extra long chainsaw comes into view.

Another thing which doesn’t quite work is the twist reveal towards the end. Reverend Zombie thinks his devious plan has worked, until Marybeth makes a big revelation – which should actually ensure that Zombie’s plan *has* worked!

Verdict:

Hatchet 2 continues the OTT gore and guts with some gruesome kills – some of which, again, seem to just go on forever. However, for me these weren’t the highlight of the film – rather, the witty character interactions made this an entertaining watch.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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