Reel Views: Hatchet 2 is full of gore
Some horror films are bonechillingly
scary while others are
just cheesy. Hatchet 2 falls nicely
in the middle; it's full of over-thetop
gore — even slasher flick cliché
— and yet it is still entertaining.
This sequel to the first Hatchet film picks up in the exact place where its predecessor ended; Marybeth is fighting for her life against that monstrous Victor Crowley deep in a Louisiana swamp. Marybeth manages to escape, just barely, and is rescued soon after by a fisherman. When safely inside the fisherman's home, Marybeth recounts her story, and upon discovering her father's identity, the fisherman promptly expels her from his home. He is swiftly torn apart by Crowley.
This is where the plot begins to thicken. As it turns out, Marybeth's father was one of the boys who killed Victor Crowley years earlier, turning him into the swamp-dwelling monster that he is today. After learning this, Marybeth returns to the swamp with a rag-tag group of fisherman with shotguns in an attempt to retrieve the butchered bodies of her father and brother who were mercilessly killed in the first Hatchet. It goes without saying that the killing ensues.
The cast of Hatchet 2 contains some familiar faces for slasher flick fans. Marybeth is played by Danielle Harris of Halloween fame, a seasoned pro at playing screaming, shrieking damsels in distress. In Hatchet 2, her character falls into the category of women in horror films who are affectionately known as The Final Girl; the virginal, pure, innocent girl who has the ability to triumph over absolute evil.
Marybeth's right-hand man is the Reverend Zombie played by Tony Todd, who, with his smooth southern drawl, brings the eerie sense of calm to the movie.
Kane Hodder of the Friday the 13th franchise brings the cursed Victor Crowley to life. Hodder plays the grotesque and brutal killer with a ruthlessness that will make you think twice about venturing into any bayous.
Hatchet 2 does not have the highest production values, nor the most thought-provoking storyline, but what it lacks in high art it makes up for in blood and guts. The weapon of choice is, as you may have guessed, a hatchet — a melee weapon that makes the killer's job that much more personal. Gallons upon gallons of blood are spilled in Hatchet 2, countless heads split in two by the hatchet as well as more than one incidence of someone's intestines being spilled to the ground. The prevalent gore of slasher flicks goes hand in hand with gratuitous nudity, of which this film has plenty.
Perhaps not the best scary movie ever made, Hatchet 2 is certainly also not the worst. Southern charm, over-the-top yet fairly campy gore, and a cheesy revengedriven plot give this movie everything it needs to be a solid slasher flick, and should find its way into your DVD collection.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
This sequel to the first Hatchet film picks up in the exact place where its predecessor ended; Marybeth is fighting for her life against that monstrous Victor Crowley deep in a Louisiana swamp. Marybeth manages to escape, just barely, and is rescued soon after by a fisherman. When safely inside the fisherman's home, Marybeth recounts her story, and upon discovering her father's identity, the fisherman promptly expels her from his home. He is swiftly torn apart by Crowley.
This is where the plot begins to thicken. As it turns out, Marybeth's father was one of the boys who killed Victor Crowley years earlier, turning him into the swamp-dwelling monster that he is today. After learning this, Marybeth returns to the swamp with a rag-tag group of fisherman with shotguns in an attempt to retrieve the butchered bodies of her father and brother who were mercilessly killed in the first Hatchet. It goes without saying that the killing ensues.
The cast of Hatchet 2 contains some familiar faces for slasher flick fans. Marybeth is played by Danielle Harris of Halloween fame, a seasoned pro at playing screaming, shrieking damsels in distress. In Hatchet 2, her character falls into the category of women in horror films who are affectionately known as The Final Girl; the virginal, pure, innocent girl who has the ability to triumph over absolute evil.
Marybeth's right-hand man is the Reverend Zombie played by Tony Todd, who, with his smooth southern drawl, brings the eerie sense of calm to the movie.
Kane Hodder of the Friday the 13th franchise brings the cursed Victor Crowley to life. Hodder plays the grotesque and brutal killer with a ruthlessness that will make you think twice about venturing into any bayous.
Hatchet 2 does not have the highest production values, nor the most thought-provoking storyline, but what it lacks in high art it makes up for in blood and guts. The weapon of choice is, as you may have guessed, a hatchet — a melee weapon that makes the killer's job that much more personal. Gallons upon gallons of blood are spilled in Hatchet 2, countless heads split in two by the hatchet as well as more than one incidence of someone's intestines being spilled to the ground. The prevalent gore of slasher flicks goes hand in hand with gratuitous nudity, of which this film has plenty.
Perhaps not the best scary movie ever made, Hatchet 2 is certainly also not the worst. Southern charm, over-the-top yet fairly campy gore, and a cheesy revengedriven plot give this movie everything it needs to be a solid slasher flick, and should find its way into your DVD collection.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
