Hachet 2 (2010) Review by: Rich Wilson

Horror fans are a loyal bunch of freaks. Maybe, because our chosen genre is sneered and looked down upon by highbrow critics who prefer costume to cannibal epics, or because we’re seen as the unwashed armpit of the cinema body, we feel the need to stick together and fight it out. And we love it when one of our own breaks out from simply being a fanatic and becomes the filmmaker. Like a faithful dog, if you throw us a bloody bone and tickle our ears, we’ll be with you and support you until the bitter end.

When Adam Green walked on stage at Frightfest to introduce Hatchet II he received a hero’s welcome that almost took the paint from walls of the Empire theatre. Green is one of us, a thirty-five year old splatter-fanatic who grew up idolizing Romero and Raimi and then proved his chops with the excellent Hatchet, a film that was a delicious throwback the glory days of 80’s horror and set up an instant icon in the psychotic hulk of Victor Crowley. It may have been pure old-school and may have ticked many of the obvious boxes, but Hatchet was a rough little gem that deserved the reception it got. Like Trick R Treat, it was proud of its roots, and proud to be a gore flick.

It’s this simple. If you didn’t like the first, you won’t like the sequel. Hatchet II picks up where the first left off with Marybeth (Danielle Harris from those pissy Halloween sequels) escaping from the deformed arms of Crowley (Kane Hodder) following the slaughter of her swamp tour. Back in town she secures the services of Reverend Zombie (Tony Todd, who’s obviously having a great time) to bring the bodies back from the swamp. The strange Zombie agrees, assembles a motley gang of mercenaries that would give Stallone and his expendables a run for their money, and together they head back to the wetlands on a mission to exterminate Crowley for good.

Green takes time to flesh out his characters and introduce the next band of victims to enter Crowley’s gut-drenched house with a cracking ‘found footage’ sequence, and we learn more on the back story of Crowley with scenes of his Father, also played by a prosthetic-less Hodder, that echoes old stalk-and slash classic The Burning and a thousand others but is none the worse for it, as Hatchet II (and Green) isn’t afraid to blatantly show it’s influences. The film is also shot through with some good humor and great gags, a hysterical sex scene being a highlight.

Where the movie really shines though is with a series of brilliant kill scenes that showcase some of the best gore effects seen in years. Keeping in tune with the past they’re all done practically and in camera, with belt sander and the biggest chainsaw I’ve seen since Leatherface in operation. This film delivers the splatter in spades without any hint of the CGI so common for lazy filmmakers and so hated by fans who know the real uses of karo syrup and latex on set. Hatchet II is a throwback to the era Green came up, a love letter to the VHS generation. It’s not perfect; Harris’s performance grates in places and occasionally it does feel like we’re biding our time until the next death, but these are very minor gripes in a film that improves in every way over it’s predecessor.

Green rocked Frightfest four years ago as a no-one with the original Hatchet and has returned every year since, feature or not, to watch films and pass the time with fans. He promised the World premiere of Crowley’s bloody return would take place in London and was good to his word. Hatchet II might not have the sophistication of his previous picture Frozen but it does show respect, passion and a love for our down-trodden genre. It’s easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm of a festival screening but Hatchet II really was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. A slick, sick thrill-ride, and buckets of grisly fun.

- Rich Wilson