[Hostel Part 2]
Plot:Three girls studying in Italy get caught up in the sinister underground torture organization seen in the first film.

Cast: Jay Hernandez, Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarazzo, Vera Jordanova, Roger Bart, Richard Burgi, Milan Knazo, Edwige Fenech.

My Thoughts:Alot more entertaining that "Hostel".

Review:After what took place in "Hostel", I got to wondering......could Eli Roth possibly make the sequel any sicker or more twisted than the original? Well after seeing the film, I got my answer.....and it's a big fat YES. "Hostel Part II" picks up where "Hostel" left off, and the opening 7 or 8 minutes of the film are pretty damn cool and also contain a little bit of dark humor as well with a really messed up sequence involving Paxton. Speaking of which, the focus early on is on the lone survivor of "Hostel"...Paxton (Jay Hernandez) who is currently living in Witness Protection Program-esque seclusion with his girlfriend.

The guy, rightfully so is worried about the torture organization tracking him down, and he's taken very lengthy precautions in making sure they don't find him, such as keeping hush hush on the horror's that took place in that Slovakian city him and his friends visited in the previous film. Soon the scene shifts to Rome Italy, where we're introduced to the future victims of "Hostel II", Whitney (Bijou Phillips), Beth (Lauren German), and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo). Headed back for the night on a tram, the girls meet a mysterious woman around their age named Axelle (Vera Jordanova), who hips them to the location of a Slovakian Hostel/Spa place, an offer the three American girls simply cannot pass up.

After arriving at the spa in Slovakia, and taking in the scenery and company of the place, the girls begin to further enjoy themselves. Totally unaware that they're being watched and are the latest targets of the sinister underground torture organization, who has it's sights set on the three women for it's very rich clients. "Hostel Part II" follows all of the typical sequel rules to a T. Make things more interesting, open up the story a little bit more, and give more insight into the inner-workings of the villains and their operation.

It also fleshes out the story a bit more this time around, and adds in alot more wit than the original film had. The characters this time are a-plenty, which is what "Hostel" was missing. Along with the three American girls, we get a mysterious old man (Milan Knazo) tied into the underground torture group, the mysterious Axelle who becomes a key player in the scheme of things late in the movie, a man who offers to help the girls escape the unknown danger that they're in, and two American guys who are looking to take their lives to the "next level" by visiting the Hostel and taking part in it's dark pleasures.

One of which being played by Richard Burgi, another character who becomes a major factor near the climax of the film, but not in the way that you would think once you've met his character in the movie and have been privy to his behavior. And if that wasn't enough.....the Bubblegum Gang is back, and while they're a little less vicious in their second outing, they certainly do still have an impact on the movie. Roth also doesn't forget to mix all of this mystery and intrigue with the blood, gore, and sick mayhem that the first film was known for. In fact, if I had to rate it, I'd say "Hostel 2" is alot sicker than the first as far as the torture scenes go.

There's one in particular that is VERY cringe worthy, and is hard to watch. Especially since it happens to one of the films nicer yet niaeve characters. The torture scenes in "Hostel 2" aren't as intricate as they were in the original though, and that factor is replaced more by giving the viewer a clear look into the oganizations behavior. How they contact their clients, how the clients come about getting the girl they want to torture, and the kidnapping scenes are alot lengthier this time around and much more intricate than just a drugged drink followed by waking up in a torture chamber, which is what happened to most of the characters in "Hostel".

Eli also makes sure to jam in that one trojan horse character who may or may not be "in bed with the organization", however making them less of an obvious wolf-in-sheeps-clothing this time around. "Hostel 2" for the most part delivers from beginning to end as far as entertainment value goes, and the deeper story, deeper characters, confusing alliances, shocking scenes, and even more shocking plot twists (and I do mean shocking), really make "Hostel Part 2" a sequel that completely outclasses it's predecessor in every way, shape, and form. While the film is thin and spotty in a few areas, it's certainly not enough to hurt or bring down the film as a whole, and when a certain someone gets their "just desserts" at the end, I can safely say that "Hostel Part 2" is definitely Eli Roth's best outing of the series.

Positives:More likeable main characters as far as the potential victims are concerned, truly horrific gore and torture scenes, amazing plot twists and turns, a much stronger story, and a pretty cool ending.

Negatives:One character died that I felt should've been the lone survivor.

Overall:One of those rare sequels that is superior to what came before it in every way.





( Talk about it in the Forums!)



( Back to the main page)