Review of Hatchet II (2010) by Jeremy S — 02 Feb 2011

This really exceeded my expectation far more than I thought it would, and was probably the most satisfying straight American horror film I've seen in ages. I wasn't too much of a fan of the first one (the gore was good, but the comedic elements were a failure and the characters were awful.

) This time around the comedic elements were actually genuinely funny and with all of the most unlikeable characters dead after the first, Adam Green was able to focus on creating a newer better line up of characters who are to inevitably be dismembered in zany, over the top fashion.

The gore really is top notch here (Crowley pulls a man's intestines out of his stomach wraps them around the victims throat and pulls until his head explodes, double castration by giant chainsaw, and spine ripped through the upper body of a victim thus skinng him alive, are some of the more noteable scenarios for me.

) I was also glad to see Tony Todd in a more central role this time around, and I actually didn't really want to see a couple of the other characters killed here, for various reasons. This film isn't re-inventing the wheel by any means, but wear's classic horror movie cliches proudly on it's sleeves and the result is a film made for horror movie fans, by horror movie fans.

One of 2010's best for horror, definently the best American one I've seen in a long long time. Looking forward to seeing what Adam Green get's up to next.