DanielKing

Andrew Traucki's THE REEF is the best shark movie since JAWS but this follow up (in name only) is nowhere near as good. In the first there were reasonably well-drawn characters, in this there are 4 hotties. In the first there was bucketloads of tension and genuine fright; in this there are stock situations, cliches, and an alarming lack of imagination. It's no exaggeration to say that the opening 5 or 10 minutes is the most effective. It's sad to write this because the first one was so good, as was Traucki's croc shocker BLACK WATER, but this is a dud I'm afraid.

An implausible yet intriguing set up is fatally undermined by a terrible script and plot holes you could drive a stolen VW van through.

Because the actors have no decent lines they all resort to shouting and gurning, which the director allows them to do. Presumably because he was trying to deflect attention away from the absurd plot developments which spoil what could have been a decent British attempt at the torture porn genre.

If that's what floats your boat then you might still get something out of it. Personally, I prefer my horror to be frightening as opposed to merely repellent.

If you can get past the bargain basement costumes and sets, there's the germ of an interesting story here. The premise - an elite team heads to a remote planet to investigate a series of deaths - is a good one; so much so in fact that you wonder why more sci-fi films haven't used it. Admittedly the plot does then develop along predictable lines but some thought at least was given to dreaming up an unusual monster and there's perhaps more science than you'd expect from such a cheapo production. The alien landscape is pretty good too and shows what can be achieved with a red filter, a smoke machine and a bit of imagination.

On the downside, the aforementioned sets and costumes are pretty laughable: everything is red or white, or red and white. Some of the acting is pretty shocking too, although it must be said they don't have much to work with. The last half hour drags pretty badly, after a sprightly opening.

So, in summary, certainly no classic but not a total waste of time either.