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Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)

DVD Cover (Twentieth Century Fox)
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Overall Rating 59%
Overall Rating
Ranked #2,500
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Connections: Wrong Turn

Retired military commander Colonel Dale Murphy hosts the simulated post-apocalyptic reality show where participants are challenged to survive a remote West Virginia wasteland. But the show turns into a nightmarish showdown when each realizes they are being hunted by an inbred family of cannibals determined to make them all dinner! --IMDb
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Review by Tristan
Added: October 9, 2007
In 2003, Rob Schmidt surprised the horror community by making an extremely underrated film, Wrong Turn. With a cast of "pretty boys" and "hot chicks", this movie had sexy teen slasher written all over it. Fortunately, this movie was anything but, and turned into a 90 minute adrenaline rush filled with gore, suspense, comedy, and oh yeah, gore.. With the success of the film, it would only make sense to create a sequel. So four years and no theatrical release later, we're treated to the second installment in what could turn out to be the Wrong Turn franchise. Although this was a DTV title, it's been getting quite the hype on the internet, and I've been counting down the days till I could finally get my grubby little hands on it.

Henry Rollins is Dale Murphy, a retired colonel who hosts a simulated post-apocalyptic reality show where participants are challenged to survive a remote West Virginia wasteland. The six contestants are Nina (Erica Leerhsen) the goth vegetarian, Jake (Texas Battle) the jock, Jonesy (Steve Braun) the skater, Elena (Crystal Lowe) the whore, Kimberly (Kimberly Caldwell) the wannabe actress and Amber (Daniella Alonso) the tomboy. I'm thinking it's more of a Surivoresque parody that these kinds of characters were chosen, rather than a coincidence. I don't think anyone is going to write these characters out thinking it's fresh material. As it turns out they're shooting the pilot episode, and everyone is hoping to get picked up for a series. Well, not everyone. Kimberly, the aspiring actress, doesn't even make it to the set, as she's brutally murdered in one of the finest kill scenes I think I've witnessed. Apparently special effects have come a really long way, because it was the most convincing kill I've seen that didn't appear to use any CGI. [/ramble]. Almost immediately the contestants are attacked by the cannibalistic woodsman. However, the ante has been upped since the original, and this time it's an entire inbred family after them. This time around they're more vicious and cunning, and for you fans of the original, there's a recurring character you should keep an eye out for. As cast and crew start dropping like flies, the remaining survivors realize that this game of survival has now become a fight for their lives.

For a low-budget, DTV sequel, this movie sure pulled out all the stops. The special effects were simply amazing. I've seen some good special effects in my day, but these take the cake, as I'm pretty sure most of them aren't CGI. As far as the appearance of the cannibals, aaaah, that leaves a little something to be desired. It's kind of unfair to compare them to the first film though, as Stan Winston worked on the makeup effects, and that pretty much voids all future attempts at recreating the same look. But for a limited budget, they looked pretty damned decent.

I'll also have to say, that while I was not impressed by the acting as a whole, Henry Rollins and Erica Leerhsen did a pretty nice job. I know it's not a far stretch for Rollins to play a tough guy, but he did a good job of beefing up the role of the cheesy game show host. Leerhsen too did a good job of being a bad ass. Not what you'd expect from a scrawny little girl like herself, but it worked. My other little gripe is the idea of a reality show as a means to get these kids out in the woods. Sure, they needed a reason to get these people out there, and I know it's hard to think of original ideas anymore, but I didn't take to this one too well.

Overall, I would recommend this movie. It went a little downhill in the last 20 minutes or so, but there were some nice scenes in those last 20 minutes, so I can overlook that. I wouldn't go so far as to say it lived up to the original, but it did a good job of not completely ruining the series.

7/10.
bluemeanie #1: bluemeanie - added October 10, 2007 at 4:47pm
I don't know that he 'surprised' the horror community. "Wrong Turn" was not nearly as bad as it could have been, but it was nothing special. The sequel, for all the advanced buzz I heard about it, is closer to "The Hills Have Eyes 2" than anything else. Not very scary and not very interesting. 4/10.
Tristan #2: Tristan - added October 10, 2007 at 5:17pm
It just as easily could have been like Urban Legend, Valentine, Soul Survivors, all that drivel. But it wasn't at all, which was surprising.
Edd #3: Edd - added October 10, 2007 at 7:24pm
Boo. End of story. First one sucked too. 2.5/10
bluemeanie #4: bluemeanie - added October 11, 2007 at 5:57pm
I'll give you that it wasn't as bad as "Valentine" or "Sole Survivors", but "Urban Legend" and Loretta Divine kicked its everloving ass.
Tristan #5: Tristan - added October 11, 2007 at 6:01pm
I'm talking about the original at this point, not the sequel. Urban Legend was NOT better than Wrong Turn. Not even close.
bluemeanie #6: bluemeanie - added October 15, 2007 at 4:15pm
To me, it was. Much better. "Urban Legend" gave me so much more. Jared Leto, for one.
Tristan #7: Tristan - added October 15, 2007 at 4:39pm
That man has less acting ability than he does singing ability.
Fuck Jared Leto.
bluemeanie #8: bluemeanie - added October 15, 2007 at 4:57pm
I don't watch Jared Leto movies for his acting ability. I watch Jared Leto movies for...well...Jared Leto.
bluemeanie #9: bluemeanie - added October 15, 2007 at 4:58pm
Even that aside, "Urban Legend" was still better.
Chad #10: Chad - added November 4, 2007 at 7:59am
This one was pretty damned good, surprisingly. Oh, and Henry Rollins was great in here. 8/10.
Tristan #11: Tristan - added November 4, 2007 at 4:07pm
At least someone agrees with me.
bluemeanie #12: bluemeanie - added November 5, 2007 at 12:16pm
OK -- if "Murder Party" is 'barely an average release' and this film gets 8/10 -- well -- it's just retarded.
Chad #13: Chad - added November 5, 2007 at 10:44pm
In my humble opinion, this one was simply more entertaining. Of course, my opinion may be swayed a bit by the fact that I love these hillbilly cannibal films, I enjoy massive amounts of bloodshed, and I'm a geek for Henry Rollins. I think MP outshone this one in terms of performances (by a long shot, actually), but when it comes to overall entertainment, I'd much rather watch this one again than MP.
Kari Byron's Sex Cyborg #14: Kari Byron's Sex Cyborg - added May 16, 2008 at 4:17am
I thought it was really obvious that this sequel was made with a heavy tongue-in-cheek style, and as long as you watch it with that in mind, I don't know how one couldn't find this entertaining because there is a lot to love in the gore and humor departments (especially with all the cliché bashing).
8/10
Crispy #15: Crispy - added January 27, 2009 at 10:39pm
I agree with every word of this review. The reality show premise was kind of weak, but this movie was fun as hell, albeit a bit campy in areas.
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