20140205: Horror Review--Hatchet 2

Hatchet 2

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. Image courtesy of The Movie Database.
2. American live action feature length film, 2010, UR, 85 minutes, horror, slasher, revenge.
3. IMDB: 5.4/10.0 from 6,729 audience ratings.  Approximate budget: 800,000 USD; aspect, 1.85
4. Rotten Tomatoes: 36% on the meter; 36% liked it from 2,623 audience ratings.
5. Netflix: 3.2/5.0 from 110,059 audience ratings.
6. Written and directed by: Adam Green.
7. Starring: Danielle Harris as Marybeth Dunston, Tony Todd as Reverend Zombie, Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley/Thomas Crowley, Parry Shen as Justin, Tom Holland as Bob, R. A. Mihailoff as Trent, AJ Bowen as Layton.


2. Setup and Plot
1. This film is the sequel to the 2006 movie, Hatchet; no surprise there.  Kane Hodder and Tony Todd reprise their roles, but Danielle Harris replaces Tamara Feldman as Marybeth.


2. Marybeth was in Honey Island Swamp, and barely escapes the wrath of Victor Crowley.  Her father and brother were not so lucky.  She's saved by a swamp scavenger, who proceeds to kick her out after he finds that she is from the Dunston family.  The scavenger tells her to have the Reverend Zombie explain everything.


3. She gets a long explanation from Zombie, who was a friend of her father's.  Her father and two friends did the prank that resulted in Victor Crowley's death.  They decide to mount a party of local hunters to clear the area and recover the bodies of the brother and father.  Zombie offers 500 just for going on the expedition.  Also, the expedition might lead to opening the Swamp for legal gator hunting, and legal swamp tours by Zombie's company.


4. Once the group is deep in the swamp at night, they try to figure out a plan.  Sigh.  To increase incentives, to whomever brings back the head of Victor Crowley, Zombie offers 5000 USD.  Zombie has a 'secret' plan that he thinks will quell the curse.


5. Then the elimination derby begins.  This one is of the gorefest, slasher type.


6. Will anyone survive this?  Will the Reverend's plan work?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Expedition to the swamp to recover bodies turns out badly.
2. Two stars of five


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 6/10 Not too bad, but never really fine.


2. Sound: 9/10 One of the better parts of the film.


3. Acting: 4/10 The usual for low budget elimination derbies.  Danielle Harris was not in her best form.  Tony Todd was good.  Most of the others were not.  I do wish they had hired an accent coach.


4. Screenplay: 4/10 Simple plot, but it does have a beginning, a middle, and an end.


5. SFX: 4/10 Lots of splatter, lots of fake internal organs. Not much of it was very convincing.