The Human Centipede II

Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), The (2011)

*** (out of 4)

Martin (Laurence R. Harvey), a deranged man who was sexually abused by his father, lives his life with his abusive mother who blames him for the father being in prison. Martin, a fan of the film THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, finally reaches his breaking point and begins to pick victims so that he can create his own 12-person centipede. When THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE was released in 2009 it hit with a storm of controversy and it appeared that the film gained a cult following even before it was released. I found the movie to be well-made but found most of the so-called "shock value" to just be hype. I thought the film wasn't nearly as graphic as the filmmakers would like you to believe and the word around the campfire started to build early for this sequel. All sorts of rumors were leaked onto the net about how shocking this film was going to be so does it succeed or was it just more hype? I'd have to say a little bit of both but there's no question that this here is a much better movie than the first. With that said, if you're offended by the subject matter or graphic violence then there's no purpose to see this thing as no matter how well-made it is you're not going to make it through. The first portion of the film is going to remind people of ERASERHEAD as we spend most of the time getting to know this Martin character. On one hand you can't help but feel sorry for the guy due to him being raped by his father and abused by everyone in his life but then again you really can't forgive anything he's going to do on his quest. I really thought the first hour of the movie did a great job at building a sick atmosphere and a very surreal one without having to use any gore or violence. I think the sickening atmosphere created was exceptionally strong and it's do to the visual style and the performance by Harvey. Harvey doesn't get any dialogue so he's just acting his gestures, his eyes and his body movement but he certainly reminded me of Peter Lorre and delivered that same type of creepy performance that you'd expect to see from Lorre. I'm not sure if Fritz Lang's M had any impact on the performance or if the director had it in mind but they are quite similar. The supporting players are fit their parts nicely and that includes Ashlynn Yennie, the actress from the first film who plays herself here. Those wanting the gore and violence won't be disappointed but this here is pretty much saved for the final half hour of the picture. We get some pretty graphic stuff that I won't spoil here but if you're familiar with the original film then it's pretty much the same stuff only much more brutal. I think the smart thing director Tom Six did with this sequel is that he filmed it in B&W. This is the perfect example of why B&W is such a beautiful format and it shows what you can do with it. The shadows, the perfect lighting and just what it adds to the atmosphere. This film would never have worked in color and I'd even say the mostly silent nature of the picture was another very big benefit. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE II (FULL SEQUENCE) is bound to have many curious viewers checking it out and if your stomach can handle the content then you shouldn't be disappointed.

An inferior sequel compared to the original, this film is an obvious attempt by director Tom Six to further shock his audience. Even though it is filmed entirely in Black and White and the main Villain has not one actual word of dialog, the film does succeed to shock. It's villain Martin's shocking and grotesque appearance alone is enough to make anyone want to vomit. Throw in the fact that he randomly likes to soil himself and is sexually obsessed with the original "Human Centipede" film and you have an original concept for a sequel that I do not believe has ever been done before. Martin's obsession leads him to create his own 'Human Centipede' this time with not just 3 but 12 segments! The plot takes some absurd twists and turns ignoring the fact that, as a security guard, Martin should be a little more conscientious of all of the security cameras filming his every move and abductions! Logic is thrown completely out of the window in exchange for pure shock value in this one. Consider the fact that, as a security guard who is mentally challenged, it is impossible for Martin to have the medical knowledge required to undergo such a surgical endeavor. Nearly all of the characters in this film are deplorable human beings from the insensitive mother who taunts Martin incessantly throughout the film to their belligerent neighbor who goes on a rampage simply because someone complains about his loud music. Martin even tricks one of the film's original stars, Ashlynn Yennie, into believing that she is auditioning for a Quinten Tarentino film and makes her the head piece of his centipede. Very little is left to the imagination in this one...things that were merely inferred in the original film are shown in graphic detail here and expounded upon grotesquely! DO NOT VIEW THIS FILM WHILE EATING!

The movie was better than I thought it would be. It took me a a few days to get ready to view the movie. I usually watch a movie twice (on-demand), but I could only stomach HC1 once. I had to get into a frame of mind to view this movie and I was correct. HC2 is far more over the top. Lot's of gore and surprises.

I thought the villain in HC1 was a great choice, but the villain in HC2 is off the charts!! I felt pity towards this guy (however brief it was)until he started his re-creation. I hope this guy was acting and not just being himself. I mean I have never seen someone so jacked up. I thought he was going to pass out half the time or have a heart attack. I hope he has a life outside creepy movies.

I was shocked after reading about some of the parts that where cut out. I don't know how much more shock value I could have took, although some of the cut scenes seem to merit a viewing. Which begs the question of why IFC, the benchmark of indie films, would cut anything?

Overall, I liked the movie for what it was,although it must have been a bear to shoot. I have to give props to all the actors in this film. At some points I could see the physical difficulty some of the actors were having with some of the contortions.

Big props to Sixx for shocking me another time!!

Lead actor is honestly scarier than the movie itself

Human Centipede 2 is like watching a crime scene. Besides our nasty, degenerate villain in Martin, there is no character development at all. What is on the screen is just violent act after violent act, culminating in a slightly open ending. I was expecting to see some really horrible acts of violence against bodies, and that's exactly what I got. I didn't enjoy it one bit. However, I cannot deny the effect it had upon me. I had to watch the Simpsons for an hour following this film so I could feel normal again. Physically, this is the most disturbing film I've seen. I have seen worse in extreme cinema when you are actually invested in the characters, but that is impossible here. This movie is not for the squeamish at all, in fact a scene or two forced me to turn away and gag slightly. It sucks to admit that as I consider myself a seasoned genre fan, but yeah, certain parts were really freaking gross. Was there any tension? Well the first one elicited a few genuine scares but here, the fear is for what your eyes are going to be subjected to next. Watch at your own risk.