Where in the hell to start with this one... I'm going to skip giving this movie the whole review treatment, as it has me really perplexed.
On one hand, Ti West has a great visual flair and truly makes me believe his movies were made in the 70's, which in horror terms, adds to the general ambiance for me. He also has an interesting way about his work, which was suited pretty well to this particular sequel, as he made it feel a lot like Eli Roth's predecessor, and yet made it his own.
On the other hand, this movie was a confused mess and baffled me more than walking in on my sister giving the family dog a red rocket would be.
I know the studio (Lionsgate) re-shot and reworked a bunch of what Ti West original put down on film, prompting him to claim "Alan Smithee" and not want a thing to do with his own flick, and it's easy to see why. Let's leave the fact that the movie basically opens and closes with extended cartoon sequences (the latter bit before the end credits rolled) alone for now, as it's to easy to pick that crap apart. Instead, let's break the films aspects down per usual.
The Good:
-It was VERY bloody, and VERY, VERY gross in many places. As a fan of gore, I loved every second of it.
-I love Ti West's style. Just dig it tremendously, despite its flaws.
-I can't help but get a kick out of Winston, the creepy deputy from the first movie.
- The film's soundtrack was really cool, and even clever.
The Bad:
-One of the most unappealing sex scenes ever. I thought at first it was going to be a set up to a "prank the fat girl" type of payoff, but then no... the guy was into it... and it was just all very odd and uncomfortable.
-The plot was a mess, as was the way it was edited together. It's pretty straight forward for the most part (tainted water makes its way to school just in time for prom, everyone drinks it and melts), but much of it felt random and didn't make sense/was left unexplained.
-This movie couldn't decide what it wanted to be; funny or intense. In fact, it jumped back and forth several times in its own confusion.
The Downright Horrendous:
- The ending. First, the story with the two main characters just kind of ends and that's it, rather abruptly. Second, and what makes the first thing so annoying, is that after the main characters drive off, we get a 10 minute follow up scene with the stripper/hooker (same difference), as if anyone cares what happens to her. Lastly, and worse of all, the hooker sequence turns into a cartoon sequence that last for a few minutes, and closes the movie... It was all cheap and shoddy, unnecessary, and I don't blame Ti West for taking his name off of the movie.
The Downright Horrendous II: How does Lionsgate get away with the crap they pull on their own horror movies? They can mangle this movie into the ball of shit that it is, give us a new, uninspired and tired sequel to Saw every October, give big release treatment to crap like Disaster Movie, 46 new Tyler Perry "Comedies" a year, or some painful-to-watch Dane Cook movies, but they continue to bury movies like Blood Creek and Midnight Meat Train for what seems to be no good reason at all. I really wonder what in the hell they are doing over there sometimes.
The Master Says- D- (3.5/10) I think I'm being generous with this grade, and the movie is truly a mess, but the stuff in there that was obviously Ti West's was enough to not make this a total loss for me. Some people will probably love this movie, I can see it coming, but for most others I say skip this one and rent the first Cabin Fever, or even Ti West's House of the Devil instead, and spend your time and money watching a better class of movie.
