Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) Review
Written by: BlackTequilaKiss
Damn this is a first!! I actually prefer this one to the original!! Yes it is still nothing original but in terms of gore, mayhem!!
My first WTF! moment was right at the first scene with the girl getting very memorable killed by the cannibal mutants, once that moment is done you know you are in for one heck of a wild ride! This is fun, fun, fun from start to bittersweet end.
Plot:
Military commander Colonel Dale Murphy, now retired, hosts a simulated post-apocalyptic reality show. A group of people are invited to be a part of the show where they are challenged to survive in a West Virginia wasteland, remote from much else. However the plans that Murphy had implemented go horribly wrong when the group realise they are being hunted down by a inbred family of cannibals. And these particular cannibals are not going down without a fight, because they are hungry and want their dinner!
I do love this film. When I initially got it on DVD I wasn't sure if I had made the wisest investment. Five minutes into the movie all fears were gone. This was a gore fest with the best of them. It doesn't kid itself into being anything different just something fun and to keep your horror appetite appeased. Gore hounds you will not be disappointed!
Characters:
Henry Rollins (Col. Dale Murphy)- He was AWESOME in this!! No bullshit, no falseness he was 100% dedicated to his character and I thought it was brilliant. Yes it is natural to admire an actor but the places he took Murphy's character was awesome. Absolutely loved him!
Daniella Alonso (Amber)- After the atrocity of The Hills Have Eyes 2 (remake) she needed to redeem herself and thank the stars she does!
She gives us a hard; resilient character that I firmly believed in. With a no nonsense approach she was on form and I admittedly loved her in this. Thanks Alonso for showing us you can act the part damn well when needed to!
The other characters are the same clichéd bunch as is expected in an horror film but they do a fantastic job and when death approaches them they manage to act their death scenes very well. Convincing, brilliant characters some of which I loathed, others I adored. Fantastic!
Blah, blah, blah I could stop writing and let you rest but where would the fun be in that?! :)
Lighting: You know what I am gonna say. So I will boil this down to the simplest formula: it was done well. With subtle hints to the darker scenes and a lovely contrast between natural and artificial. Basically, well done. LOL.
Relatively low budget there were two things that impressed me about the movie aside from the obvious.
Camerawork was very professionally done. The camera's barely blurred and the sharp focus it kept especially in the unsettling moments was above par. It was a wonderful addition without becoming a distraction. Very, very sweet! And the other thing:
The effects for Gore: WOW! Did I just say wow? Let me say it again then, WOW & WOW!! They were perfectly done and I was hard pressed to tell between real and fake. The blood was stunningly shot and I loved how it poured so fluidly with the emotions. Everything else, the guts etc were just done greatly and I have no qualms about the Gore effects at all!
The cannibal mutants looked even better than in the first and twice as hideous so the look was achieved, respectable.
Bottom line: This isn't a deep movie, it doesn't explore new territory but it does the gore to perfect standards. Imagine an oblique cross between Se7en and The Hills Have Eyes. That's the best way to describe it.
Final Verdict- If you are after a gore experience and you need the bloodshed check this movie out! Fun and entertaining this ditty will keep you very happy. Gory with some great cast members this is without question appealing to the eye.
Rent/Buy, lights off, music high, this is tension blasting, bloody mayhem at its best!
A fantastic ride into the unknown!