Scan and Pan
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Hills Have Eyes 2
Two years after a vacationing family is massacred in the remote New Mexico desert by a clan of mutant cannibals, scientists are investigating the area on behalf of the military. When a National Guard unit arrives with supplies, they discover the scientists are missing and soon find themselves being picked off one by one by the mutants.
Craven produced last year's remake of his own film, but he takes a more active role this time around, co-writing the screenplay with his son Jonathan. The result is one of the best films he's written in a long time, complete with his familiar dark sense of humor. Alexandre Aja is replaced in the director's chair by Martin Weisz (Rohtenburg), and the result is non-stop action that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. If its predecessor was edgy and disturbing, this sequel is more like Aliens, a straightforward action film, and it's certainly satisfying on that level.
Much of the film is set in underground tunnels, so cinematographer Sam McCurdy's experience on The Descent allows him to light the sets of production designer Keith Wilson (Space: 1999, Mary, Mother of Jesus) in a way that makes them look real while also maximizing the claustrophobic terror of a situation where monsters can seemingly come out of nowhere in the dark. The score by Trevor Morris (E-Ring) helps build the tension to a high pitch.
This isn't the kind of film where great acting is required, but all of the actors are believable in their roles, including Michael McMillian, Jessica Stroup, Daniella Alonso, Jacob Vargas, Lee Thompson Young (Cyborg on Smallville), Ben Crowley, Eric Edelstein, and Reshad Strik as the soldiers; Flex Alexander as their sergeant; Jeff Kober as the officer overseeing the scientists; Archie Kao (CSI: Las Vegas) as one of the scientists; Michael Bailey Smith as the mutant leader Hades (he played the mutant Pluto in the previous film, a clear pun based on the various names of the Greco-Roman deity); and David Reynolds as an innocent-minded mutant who helps the soldiers.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 completely exceeded my expectations for a sequel to a remake, and I think most fans of horror and action should enjoy this film as much as I did.
The sequel to last year's surprise hit remake of Wes Craven's 1977 horror classic is an edge-of-your seat action thriller.
Two years after a vacationing family is massacred in the remote New Mexico desert by a clan of mutant cannibals, scientists are investigating the area on behalf of the military. When a National Guard unit arrives with supplies, they discover the scientists are missing and soon find themselves being picked off one by one by the mutants.
Craven produced last year's remake of his own film, but he takes a more active role this time around, co-writing the screenplay with his son Jonathan. The result is one of the best films he's written in a long time, complete with his familiar dark sense of humor. Alexandre Aja is replaced in the director's chair by Martin Weisz (Rohtenburg), and the result is non-stop action that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. If its predecessor was edgy and disturbing, this sequel is more like Aliens, a straightforward action film, and it's certainly satisfying on that level.
Much of the film is set in underground tunnels, so cinematographer Sam McCurdy's experience on The Descent allows him to light the sets of production designer Keith Wilson (Space: 1999, Mary, Mother of Jesus) in a way that makes them look real while also maximizing the claustrophobic terror of a situation where monsters can seemingly come out of nowhere in the dark. The score by Trevor Morris (E-Ring) helps build the tension to a high pitch.
This isn't the kind of film where great acting is required, but all of the actors are believable in their roles, including Michael McMillian, Jessica Stroup, Daniella Alonso, Jacob Vargas, Lee Thompson Young (Cyborg on Smallville), Ben Crowley, Eric Edelstein, and Reshad Strik as the soldiers; Flex Alexander as their sergeant; Jeff Kober as the officer overseeing the scientists; Archie Kao (CSI: Las Vegas) as one of the scientists; Michael Bailey Smith as the mutant leader Hades (he played the mutant Pluto in the previous film, a clear pun based on the various names of the Greco-Roman deity); and David Reynolds as an innocent-minded mutant who helps the soldiers.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 completely exceeded my expectations for a sequel to a remake, and I think most fans of horror and action should enjoy this film as much as I did.
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