Wolf
Creek 2
(2013/Image DVD)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: C Film: B
I
was a bit taken aback when watching Wolf
Creek 2,
I was expecting a cheaply made direct to video sequel but was
delightfully surprised at the film's acting, direction, and overall
production value being pretty dang good! But what really makes the
film work is John Jarratt who is reprising his role as Mick Taylor
from the first film. His acting is spot on, being at one moment a
trustworthy Australian guy to a fierce and relentless killer. The
opening scene of the film is a real attention grabber and is pretty
brutal. This is not a film for the squeamish but a bloodthirsty
genre film that caters more to the Hostel
or Hatchet
level moviegoers. This reason is probably why the film didn't go
very wide here in America.
In
North Western Australia, highway patrol officers Gary Bulmer and
Brian O'Connor are parked behind a sign desperate to fine someone.
Mick Taylor drives past and they pull him over, claiming he went over
the normal speed, although their radar proves he is under the speed
limit. When he receives a ticket, Mick vengefully decapitates
O'Connor with a perfectly placed long-range shot, causing the squad
car to crash into a ditch off to the side of the road. Despite
Bulmer's pleas, Mick knives him in the back before packing Bulmer
back into the crashed police car, and douses him and the car in
petrol, lighting the blaze with a lit cigarette.
A
young German couple, Rutger and Katarina, hitch a ride to Wolfe Creek
Crater and camp nearby. In the middle of the night, Mick is driving
nearby and sees their tent in the distance. While Rutger and
Katarina flirt, Mick drives up to the tent and offers them a lift so
they don't get charged by the authorities for camping in a national
park. When his plan fails, Mick loses his temper and attacks them,
stabbing Rutger in the back as he had done to Bulmer. Mick then
attempts to tie down and rape Katarina, but is attacked by a still
alive Rutger, only for Mick to get the upper hand and slit the boy's
throat, before using his trademark massive bowie to saw away at the
young German's neck, decapitating Rutger. Katarina faints and later
wakes up to see Mick cutting up Rutger's body then flees into the
bush, pursued by Mick.
British
surfer Paul is driving along the highway when he sees Katarina
standing on the road in distress. He lets her into the car trying to
help, but Mick gives chase in his truck and eventually accidentally
shoots Katarina dead in Paul's car when Paul miraculously ducks the
shot from Mick's high powered rifle. Paul manages to escape. The
next day, Paul reaches the highway, but realizes he has little fuel
left in his car. He sees a semi-trailer in the distance, but realizes
Mick has hijacked it. Paul eventually manages to evade Mick by
driving off the road and down a steep hillside. Mick vainly attempts
to finish Paul off by allowing the semi-trailer (without him in it)
to crash down the hill and explode both vehicles, but Paul manages to
escape harm and flees.
SPOILERS
START HERE...
After
some time, Paul comes upon an outback cottage and is given
hospitality by elderly couple Jack and Lil. They plan to take Paul
to town, but Mick intrudes and shoots both Samaritans with Jack's own
Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII. Paul flees for his life while Mick gives
chase on a horse, later succeeding in capturing Paul.
Paul
wakes up in Mick's dungeon, Zip-tied up to a chair. Before Mick can
torture him, Paul decides to tell some jokes and sing some Australian
songs, showing his knowledge in Australian culture that manages to
win Mick over. Impressed, Mick says he will let Paul go if they have
an Australian pop quiz. The torturous "game" ensues, in
which Paul loses his first finger after failing to answer the third
question "correctly", or to Mick's satisfaction, but when
faced with the final question in regards to a famous Australian
cricketer, cleverly manages to get his hand nearest to a claw hammer
free by claiming to not know anything about Cricket, and after a few
wrong guesses, begs Mick to take the second finger from his
yet-to-be-mutilated hand. Paul is then informed that since he cost
Mick his newest plaything, Katarina, Paul can take his place,
implying months of rape and torture. Paul hits Mick with the hammer,
before giving the correct answer...
For
the rest, you'll have to see it, but it has more going for it than I
ever expected.
Picture
and sound are standard for DVD - featuring an anamorphically enhanced
2.35 X 1 widescreen presentation and a lossy Dolby 5.1 audio track.
I'm sure the Blu-ray release, which also has a director's cut of the
film which I'm curious to check out, is a huge improvement. Extras
on the disc are few and far between featuring a Director's
Commentary, Deleted Scenes,
and The
Making of Wolf Creek 2.
All
in all, if you are a fan of splatter or torture films then this is
the movie for you. I would compare it to the Devil's
Rejects
in terms of style and violent level.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.vimeo.com/jamielockhart
