Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

So cool that Henry Rollins is in it and he was nothing but cool in the whole flick. Every time he was on the screen it was the right movie.

Rollins plays the host of a stupid looking reality show were the contestants pretend they must survive a post-apocalyptic world, but they soon discover how real that scenario is, as they end up taping the show in the same woods as a group of psychopathic killers.

In this film, somewhat of an origin story is given to the inbreed family that does the slashing in the woods, but I have to say, the group that did the killing in the first film were far more better. Just a little bit more creepy and creative in Wrong Turn. In Wrong Turn 2, it seem they were trying to up the extreme of these characters when it was not needed.

By itself it's more of a Stereotypical horror film with elements of Predator-like action, thanks mostly to Rollins. As a franchise, while the original brought freshness to the genre, it's sequel was stale.

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, the obvious sequel to the Terrific 70s Style Horror film Wrong Turn which starred the beautiful Eliza Dushku and Desmond Harrington (and which I surprisingly really dug and loved), was probably my most anticipated film ever for more than 2 years due to many different reasons, hence I was really looking forward to it and couldn't wait to see it. However, it was taking FOX forever to properly release it, so I waited really long for it to finally come out on October 09th, and well, having finally seen the film, all I can say is - WOW, was the wait worth it!, since the film completely exceeded all my expectations, and turned out to be one of the best Horror Sequels I've seen since Aliens and Evil Dead II. The film revolves around a group of 6 reality show contestants (we have the heroine, the black guy, the army chick, the funny guy, the nice girl, the slut, and the 7th contestant who is very brutally eliminated in the amazing and brutal opening scene of the film), their producer, and the host, who start getting killed off one-by-one while participating in the low-budget reality show by a group of sick, horny, and hideously deformed inbred hillbilly cannibals who plan on making them all their dinner. However, unluckily for the hillbillies, the remaining contestants and the host start fighting back for their survival, unaware that the hillbillies have different plans for them and their body parts.

Hvaing watched the film, I have to say that without a doubt one of the biggest highlights of the film is the gorgeous and talented Erica Leerhsen (whom you may recognize from the underrated Blair Witch 2 and the terrific Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake) who is simply terrific in the movie, and fortunately plays the most interesting and likable character with a saddening back story, and is great to see that she has actually has a decent-sized role as I always thought she was heavily underrated.

Henry Rollins steals the show as well and kicks some serious ass in the movie, and let's face it -there's nobody else who would do it better than Rollins; the man is simply a genius and should get more roles like this. Worth mentioning are other talented cast members, including Texas Battle, Aleksa Palladino, Daniella Alonso (who actually has much more to work with than in The Hills Have Eyes II), Steve Braun, Crystal Lowe, and Matthew Currie Holmes, and I have to say that Kimberly Caldwell is also great in her debut role, and delivers a fine performance in the brutal opening scene of the film.

Despite that all characters are pretty stereotypical, you actually care for them (which is very rare in Horror movies as most characters in Slasher films are one-dimensional), and I have to admit it is pretty hard to predict who is going to survive or die, thanks to the writers, Turi Meyer and Al Saptien, who have made a surprisingly effective script. There are a few plot holes and cheesy lines here and there, sure, but who cares?

The direction is amazing as well. Joe Lynch does an outstanding job as the director, and with his many homages to other movies (including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead II, Aliens, Rambo, The Blair Witch Project; mostly 80s Splatter flicks), and brutal death scenes (hint: opening scene), he is definitely one of the reasons why the sequel turned out so great.

And how does Wrong Turn 2 do in comparison with the original? Well, damn great if I may say. Seeing as the original is very serious, eerie, and scary, the sequel tries to be quite the opposite - just a simple, hardcore, highly entertaining, no-brain, and brutal Splatter flick which doesn't take itself seriously, and luckily, it succeeds. It's very different from the first one, and quality-wise - I love them both equally as they're entirely different, but equally amazing. Also, don't let the fact that this is a direct-to-video film put you away, as it's definitely the best straight-to-video movie I've ever seen, and just proves that sometimes even a little, direct-to-video sequel can live up to its proceeder, and even stand on its own.

So in all - is Wrong Turn 2 completely flawless? No, not really. Is it a perfect film? Nope. But is it a Highly Entertaining, Fast-paced, Memorable, Gory and Amazing Horror Sequel which blows away most 2007 Horror flicks? Damn straight it is. Honestly, I really don't understand why FOX sent this direct-to-video, and The Hills Have Eyes II in theaters as Wrong Turn 2 is tons better and a much more enjoyable flick.

In short, Wrong Turn 2 is hands down the most entertaining and goriest Horror Sequel I've ever seen. It's not flawless or perfect, but I still love it, so if you really are looking for a worthy sequel with amazing acting, great direction, brutal and inventive deaths, likable characters, and lots more, Wrong Turn 2 is definitely then the right turn, and an amazing Horror flick you should surely check out! Highly recommended.

8/10

Low-rent slasher sequels are usually garbage, I mean has anyone seen Hostel 2, The Grudge 2 or Hills Have Eyes 2? As a result I really wasn't expecting much of this movie despite enjoying the first, not merely for the gorgeous Eliza Dushku either. The premise is nothing new, but the characters, gore and inventive kills make it well worth watching.

The always cool Henry Rollins (who I'd pay money just to see reading the bible) plays a retired Army Colonel who is now hosting a faux-post apocalyptic reality game show. The setting: the woods. But not just any woods, this is inbred hillbilly territory and they are only too happy to devour a bunch of young city folks.

Erica Leerhseen (who seriously does not look as old as she is) plays Nina, the cynical, jaded one of the group who keeps her cool when the guts start spilling. Usually with these movies you can tell exactly who is going to die and in what order, but Wrong Turn 2 still managed to seem fresh. I wasn't simply waiting for characters to die or wishing that they'd hurry up and meet a grisly end, since such fodder are usually highly annoying.

The one thing that I didn't like was the utterly flat photography. The original had a dark, grainy and hardcore look to it but the sequel just seems so clean and bright and open. I think that if Joe Lynch was perhaps a more experienced director then the film would look tighter and more dynamic, as it is the cinematography does little to compliment the above-average production design.

If you are a fan of the first movie then I totally recommend that you give this one a go. It surpassed my expectations and I'm usually quite a snob when it comes to movies.

I always found the original 2002 film 'Wrong Turn' to be a modest backwoods slasher item, and this straight-to-DVD sequel doesn't add anything particularly new other than more blood, gore, perversion and mutilation to the survival trek. Nice! Now that opening death scene has guts… literally and shows what your really in for. Director Joe Lynch cooks up rollicking jolts and an over-the-top attitude that lends well with the films mock send-up of a reality TV show about the apocalypse, where is has contestants competing for 1 million dollars by trying to survive in a remote West Virginia. The characters don't really set themselves apart from your usual clichéd victim, but here the deformed hillbillies happen to be part of a family. Children and parents sharing their love… for bloody pulp! Even a back-story is thrown right in. However due to its concentration of thinking up new twisted ways to shorten the cast, the pacing can drag before the next nasty surprise surfacers. I didn't find the material to be overly predictable, but it never went away from its stereotypical format. The camera has that rapid style, and the music score packs a ominous charge. Performances won't win any awards, but are commendable enough. Henry Rollins superbly commands the screen, and Erica Leerhsen leads the way with a fine turn. For me this is what "The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)" wanted to be, but fell way short. Nothing grand, but an absurdly fun and in-your-face horror romp. I guess this is what it wanted to be, and true to that it is.

In Greenbrier Back Country, West Virginia, the retired military Dale Murphy (Henry Rollins) is hosting a tough survivor show where the winner takes US$ 100,000.00. The proposal of the reality show is to survive in the woods in the most adverse conditions, following predetermined rules. Sooner the contestants find that they are really fighting to survive against a strong, sadistic and violent cannibalistic family with the appearance of monsters. Further, Colonel Dale discloses that many years ago, an abandoned pulp mill released chemical wastes on the creek, killing the animals and transforming the descendants of a local family in deformed mutants. Without animals to hunt or fish to catch, the next generation chases travelers to feed themselves.

"Wrong Turn 2: Dead End" has an unoriginal story that I have seen many times, and seems to be a replay of parts of many other movies, like for example "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Hills Have Eyes", "Timber Falls", "Wrong Turn" plus breasts of a sexy girl and a collection of clichés of the genre. However, this film is surprisingly good, having more gore and originality in the deaths than the usual; and works, hooking the attention of the viewer until the very last scene. The death of Kimberly Caldwell in the beginning gives a great introduction of how bloody this film is. When I see this type of movie, I try to guess what will happen to the potential victims, if they will survive or die, and the gore resolution of this movie is good. The make-up and the special effects are impressive. In my opinion, fans of the genre will not be disappointed with this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Floresta do Mal" ("Forest of the Evil")