This is a title that has been hanging out in my Netflix queue for a minute so I decided to finally give it a spin. The original Hatchet (along with Behind the Mask, which gets a nice shout out here) looked like they might spark the rebirth of the slasher genre. That rebirth never really happened but the original Hatchet was (from my memory at least) a tongue-in-cheek gore fest with a likable cast. It was a bucket of fun, in other words. Adam Green (the director) went on to do one of my favorite man vs. nature horror movies, Frozen. So, I know he is capable of genuine scares.
This movie picks up at the precise second the last one ended. Anyone who survived the first movie is back (as well as the "brother" of one of the characters from the first). The set up is a little bit Aliens to the original's Alien in that, instead of a group of hapless tourists, we get to see a bunch of hardcore hunters and rednecks facing off with Victor Crowley (the monstrous wielder of the titular Hatchet). Tony Todd (Candyman) gets a bigger part in this one, which is always welcome. AJ Bowen (from Spooktoberween #12) appears as one of the hunters and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite horror actors. He should be way more famous than he is.
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| What would Freud say about this chainsaw? |
The execution is pretty much in keeping with the first movie. There aren't any real scares or moments of high tension. The fun is in seeing the goofy ways the characters meet their fates at Crowley's hands. Outboard motors, belt sanders, wooden tables, gigantic chainsaws and, of course, the trusty hatchet are all employed to dispatch the cast in novel ways. The sense of humor is still firmly there (Bowen's sex scene with Alexis Peters is a particularly funny scene up until the gross out ending) and even a little less juvenile than the first movie. This movie won't change your life or make you appreciate horror if you don't already but it is a nice little love letter to fans of the genre. Above all, it should not be taken seriously.
Oh yes, and the Director of Fright Night has a role in this, just FYI.
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