[Hatchet]
Plot:When a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded in the wilderness, their evening of fun and spooks turns into a horrific nightmare.

Cast: Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Robert Englund, Joel Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab Parry Shen, Joleigh Fioreavanti, Joel Murray, Richard Riehle, Patrika Darbo, Joshua Leonard, John Carl Buechler.

My Thoughts:As far as slasher movies go, it'll probably be the best one this year.

Review:Adam Green's "Hatchet" has received positive feedback all over the place from genre fans and critics alike. It's been labeled as "the slasher movie which will reinvent the slasher movie genre". My personal feelings however is that while I believe it won't reinvent the genre, it will certainly make it more popular again. After a strong start, which includes a pretty funny Robert Englund cameo..."Hatchet" switches to two college friends Ben (Joel Moore) and Marcus (Deon Richmond), who go to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to party down, get wasted, and score some women. Basically the usual and the total norm for teens in movies such as these. However while Marcus is interested in getting his drink and flirt on, Ben is moreso trying to use the trip as a way of getting over his recent break up with a girl named Christine. This interferes with Marcuses mission to have his kind of "fun"...so the two decide to find something else to do aside the normal Mardi Gras festivities.

That's when they come upon a haunted swamp tour, which the original tour guide (Tony Todd) refuses to take them on. However, they eventually find a tour guide named Shawn, played hilariously by one Parry Shen...who's, more than willing to take them. Ben is excited about the trip, but Marcus is totally not with it but as a friend, tags along anyways. After a few quirky intro's of the cast of character's taking the tour along with them, the ride begins. But soon the boat breaks down in bad weather, and the troop of tourists are forced to abandon it, with one member of the group getting injured in the process. With hungry, carnivorous gators roaming the swamp and it's surrounding areas, and an injured group member, could things get any worse? Of course they could! And they do when one of the group members, Marybeth (Tamara Feldman) reveals the real reason why she's on the quote unquote "tour", a reason which has ties to a deadly local legend that could spell the demise of her and every single one of the others if they don't find a way out of the swamp and back to civilization.

"Hatchet" is Adam Green's directorial and written by - debut horror pic, and while I think the guy has talent for horror, which is obvious if you've seen this movie, I think he still needs to smooth out the edges a bit when it comes particularly to the writing part. "Hatchet" is brilliantly directed, and the dark, spooky, swamps of Louisiana is the perfect backdrop for all of this blood, carnage, and mayhem. This film works on many levels because of where it's set. Set in the burbs, I think I really would've hated this movie. But the backdrop is perfect. Green also wrote some very good characters for this movie, and while he does play on some stereotypes such as the brainless blonde (Mercedes Mcnab), he also balances things out with the blonde's equally brainless brunette friend.

The actors chosen for the respective roles also do an excellent job in their performances, particularly Moore, Richmond, Mercedes Mcnab, and Feldman. Pretty much, and amazingly so...this is the first slasher movie I've seen where not a single character bugged me to no end. I must commend Adam for that, managing to write a slasher movie with all likeable characters who all share weaknesses of course, but not to the point where you squirm in your seat hoping Victor Crowley offs one or the other so you don't have to see them on-screen anymore. Speaking of Victor, Green created quite the monster in this movie. Victor Crowley is not only grotesque to look at, but he's also a no nonsense killer. This guy (and I use the term loosely), doesn't play around. When he has someone, he "has" them, and doesn't waste any time ripping off a limb, ripping apart one, or breaking them in half.

Crowley's backstory is a tragic one, and does indeed make you feel a tad bit sorry for them, but the damage and death he inflicts upon this group of likeable people (even the sleazy producer guy, which is a nod to Adam as a writer when you can even make the sleazeball likeable)...soon makes you forget all about his sad backstory and see him as an unstoppable killing machine which you hope, yet at the same time doubt these kids will be able to survive or stop. Green also does an excellent job or adding some humor into the film, which is spread equally around all of his characters. Everyone in this film gets to take part in some of the comedy, and each character has atleast one on-screen moment I guarantee you will laugh about on the way home.

There are some weaknesses with the movie, which all fall into the area of the script. For one thing, when the group gets whittled down to just four people, things get a bit clunky, and at times, the movie falls into the usual slasher movie trap of a few annoying cliches such as that "run of bad luck" at the wrong time, and those ultra annoying scenes when the characters just perform stupid, risky actions that have you shaking your head. But most of all the ending and short running time are the big problems with this film. The ending while clever in a few ways, doesn't feel that clever and comes across as more abrupt than anything else.

Meanwhile this movie is very short and more I felt, could've been added in to make it longer. Overall...as a slasher movie, it certainly will raise the bar somewhat for other films to try and reach or jump over, but I think what was a good slasher movie, could've been great with a few minor adjustments.

Positives:Great cast, good acting, likeable characters, lots of blood and gore, gruesome deaths, awesome directing, and a great setting.

Negatives:Too short and a very abrupt ending.

Overall:Worth seeing atleast once.





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