Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, the obvious sequel to the Terrific 70s Style Horror film Wrong Turn which starred the beautiful Eliza Dushku and Desmond Harrington (and which I surprisingly really dug and loved), was probably my most anticipated film ever for more than 2 years due to many different reasons, hence I was really looking forward to it and couldn't wait to see it. However, it was taking FOX forever to properly release it, so I waited really long for it to finally come out on October 09th, and well, having finally seen the film, all I can say is - WOW, was the wait worth it!, since the film completely exceeded all my expectations, and turned out to be one of the best Horror Sequels I've seen since Aliens and Evil Dead II. The film revolves around a group of 6 reality show contestants (we have the heroine, the black guy, the army chick, the funny guy, the nice girl, the slut, and the 7th contestant who is very brutally eliminated in the amazing and brutal opening scene of the film), their producer, and the host, who start getting killed off one-by-one while participating in the low-budget reality show by a group of sick, horny, and hideously deformed inbred hillbilly cannibals who plan on making them all their dinner. However, unluckily for the hillbillies, the remaining contestants and the host start fighting back for their survival, unaware that the hillbillies have different plans for them and their body parts.
Hvaing watched the film, I have to say that without a doubt one of the biggest highlights of the film is the gorgeous and talented Erica Leerhsen (whom you may recognize from the underrated Blair Witch 2 and the terrific Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake) who is simply terrific in the movie, and fortunately plays the most interesting and likable character with a saddening back story, and is great to see that she has actually has a decent-sized role as I always thought she was heavily underrated.
Henry Rollins steals the show as well and kicks some serious ass in the movie, and let's face it -there's nobody else who would do it better than Rollins; the man is simply a genius and should get more roles like this. Worth mentioning are other talented cast members, including Texas Battle, Aleksa Palladino, Daniella Alonso (who actually has much more to work with than in The Hills Have Eyes II), Steve Braun, Crystal Lowe, and Matthew Currie Holmes, and I have to say that Kimberly Caldwell is also great in her debut role, and delivers a fine performance in the brutal opening scene of the film.
Despite that all characters are pretty stereotypical, you actually care for them (which is very rare in Horror movies as most characters in Slasher films are one-dimensional), and I have to admit it is pretty hard to predict who is going to survive or die, thanks to the writers, Turi Meyer and Al Saptien, who have made a surprisingly effective script. There are a few plot holes and cheesy lines here and there, sure, but who cares?
The direction is amazing as well. Joe Lynch does an outstanding job as the director, and with his many homages to other movies (including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead II, Aliens, Rambo, The Blair Witch Project; mostly 80s Splatter flicks), and brutal death scenes (hint: opening scene), he is definitely one of the reasons why the sequel turned out so great.
And how does Wrong Turn 2 do in comparison with the original? Well, damn great if I may say. Seeing as the original is very serious, eerie, and scary, the sequel tries to be quite the opposite - just a simple, hardcore, highly entertaining, no-brain, and brutal Splatter flick which doesn't take itself seriously, and luckily, it succeeds. It's very different from the first one, and quality-wise - I love them both equally as they're entirely different, but equally amazing. Also, don't let the fact that this is a direct-to-video film put you away, as it's definitely the best straight-to-video movie I've ever seen, and just proves that sometimes even a little, direct-to-video sequel can live up to its proceeder, and even stand on its own.
So in all - is Wrong Turn 2 completely flawless? No, not really. Is it a perfect film? Nope. But is it a Highly Entertaining, Fast-paced, Memorable, Gory and Amazing Horror Sequel which blows away most 2007 Horror flicks? Damn straight it is. Honestly, I really don't understand why FOX sent this direct-to-video, and The Hills Have Eyes II in theaters as Wrong Turn 2 is tons better and a much more enjoyable flick.
In short, Wrong Turn 2 is hands down the most entertaining and goriest Horror Sequel I've ever seen. It's not flawless or perfect, but I still love it, so if you really are looking for a worthy sequel with amazing acting, great direction, brutal and inventive deaths, likable characters, and lots more, Wrong Turn 2 is definitely then the right turn, and an amazing Horror flick you should surely check out! Highly recommended.
8/10
