Review of Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004) by Budge B — 13 Apr 2009

I rate the first "Ginger Snaps" as the finest werewolf film I've ever seen - beautifully scripted, well directed, and great chemistry between Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle. The sequel, "Ginger Snaps Unleashed", was also a fine production. Do you sense I'm delaying getting to the point?

"Ginger Snaps Back" does not live up to the standards of the first two. It's not a bad film, it's just not exceptional. It sets out to explore where the curse of the werewolf originated - was Ginger bitten randomly (in "Ginger Snaps"), or had she been hunted down the years by a destiny she could never hope to escape?

So, this prequel takes us back to the year 1815 - Napoleon is meeting his Waterloo in Belgium ... but in a palisaded fort near Hudson Bay, the remnants of a group of trappers are praying that their missing colleagues will return with supplies before winter really sets in.

Riding through a chilly forest, lightly dusted in fresh snow, our two heroines share a horse. The animal will soon be scared off by some unseen evil lurking in the trees. Brigitte will be injured. She and Ginger will be led to the illusionary safety of the fort by a taciturn Indian. Together forever, the two sisters will be greeted with suspicion and threats by the trappers. You'd think two nubile young ladies would get an entirely warmer welcome, but only the Indians seem pleased with their arrival - legend has it that the coming of the red and the black sisters will augur the raising of an ancient curse. The scene is set ... .

It's a very atmospheric film - the opening shots in the forest are beautifully framed and focused. The lighting and photography throughout is excellent. Direction is fine. But it falls down in having a weaker plot than the earlier films, and that has knock-on consequences for the actors. There are some talented people on show, but some of the parts are distinctly wooden - it's as if the cold weather has entered the script and snuffed out the flame of personality which animated the previous two films.

Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle were electrifying in the original "Ginger Snaps". Their relationship was the central dynamic to the plot, and it gave an intensity to their roles and their performances. Here, the relationship between Ginger and Brigitte is neutered. It remains a significant element, but it lacks dynamism and vitality; if anything, it actually holds back the flow of the plot in places and creates tensions in the structure of the film. It just doesn't achieve the intensity of the first film, and, because of that, the performances are less convincing. At times Emily Perkins is just required to stand around looking maniacal; at times, Katherine Isabelle is just required to stand around.

It is not a bad film. It has genuine tension and some genuine scary moments. It also has some very funny moments. And it has great atmosphere. But you sense it is a bit self-conscious, you sense that it is a film too far and that a lot of the people concerned with it are aware of the fact.

A very watchable film ... the extras on the DVD include a director's video diary which gives some interesting insights into the problems of making a movie ... but it isn't exceptional.