[The Hills Have Eyes 2]
Plot:A team of National Guard cadets stops over at a desert outpost to deliver equipment to some military scientists. They arrive at the research camp to find it mysteriously deserted. Hearing a distress call on their walkies, they set off on what they think is a simple rescue mission into the hills - only to find a tribe of mutants, damaged by nuclear testing, who lie in wait for them.

Cast: Flex Alexander, Michael Bailey Smith, Derek Mears, Michael McMillian, Jessica Stroup, Daniella Alonso, Lee Thompson Young, Ben Crowley, Eric Edelstein, Reshad Strik, David Reynolds, Tyrell Kemlo, Javier Nieto, Gáspár Szabó, Jeff Kober, Jay Acovone.

My Thoughts:Lightyears better than the remake.

Review: "The Hills Have Eyes 2" had two things working against it, could it be atleast a decent sequel?? And could it be a worthy followup to the 2006 remake? By the end of the movie, the answer to both questions was an emphatic yes. "The Hills Have Eyes 2" picks up after the events of the remake, mentioning the Carter family incident and then moving along to the present time where a woman is shown in a very gruesome scene giving birth to "something", that barely looks human. Once she's done, a huge bohemoth approaches her, and lays into her with a huge sharp object, killing her instantly. Meanwhile later on....some military scientists are working in the area trying to find any sign of the Hills people seeing as how the survivors of the Carter family incident notified the proper authorities about their ordeal which prompted an immediate government investigation. It's safe to assume that the recently disposed of woman was with this group of scientists, or possibly another group who didn't make it out of the Hills. Soon.....in typical "Hills Have Eyes" fashion, the military scientists are soon bumped off in a series of quickly cut and bloody scenes, leaving the hills once again unpopulated, with the exception of the deadly mutants which reside inside the caves. The scene then shifts to a group of young National Guard troops who are soon called in to deliver some equipment to the scientists. The troops, led by Jeffrey "Sarge" Millstone" (Flex Alexander) arrive at the scientists camp only to come upon some gruesome discoveries, upon which the mission then changes from delivery to search and rescue, and then eventually to survival. What makes "The Hills Have Eyes 2" much different from the remake, and superior at the same time is the amount of action within the film. Unlike the remake, which takes a long time to get anything exciting going, the sequel starts off strong and other than a few 5 minute gaps here and there, is an action-packed thrill ride throughout. But to be fair, this film has National Guard troops dealing with a superhuman threat as opposed to a typical American family so the action level was obviously due for an increase. The characters themselves are the typical tough-talking military types, although in this film they're more likeable due to the fact that they're about the same age as the films target audience which is 18 to 30 year old men and women. So it's much easier to relate to them, and what they're going through. Wes Craven, and his son Jonathan constructed a brilliant script in which the young soldiers are really put into a situation where they're outmatched and totally out of their element. You actually get the feeling that these people might not make it out alive, as the danger level of the situation increases and key team members are systematically disposed of, and or severely injured by the grotesque hills people. The mutants this time around aren't as dim-witted as the mutants from the remake. They are more into using their environment to attack their prey, striking from distance, and hitting and then running. Deadliest of all, they have learned how to use the guns they steal from their prey with great accuracy. The acting in the film is also very well done, especially in the movies most tense and intense scenes. Between the performances, and the nicely done way the scenes are set up....when their numbers begin to dwindle rapidly, the viewer actually believes that these kids are in danger and scared for their lives, instead of just going through the motions. The Cravens also knew how to balance everything out in the script, adding some scenes where the young soldiers knock off one or two mutants giving a sliver of possibility that they might survive their ordeal. Late in act two the film takes to the caves beneath the hills after one of the female team members is carried away by one of the larger mutants. This is where you would think the movie would get even better but unfortunately it drags somewhat and poorly lit cave scenes also make for a mildly difficult viewing experience throughout the final portion of the film. Although I was able to see 92% of what was going on so it wasn't too much of a bother for me. But the intensity level of the movie does drop off drastically in the underground scenes, which is where you'd think things would get much more intense seeing as how the remaining soldiers don't have homefield advantage anymore. The bloody and gory climax of the movie more than makes up for the slow-paced first half of act three though, and there's a throwback plot point tossed in from "The Hills Have Eyes" where one of the mutants actually tries to aide the last few soldiers in finding their friend and escaping the cave and the other mutants. Although in the sequel it doesn't work as well or play very effectively towards the situation at hand as it did in the remake. The ending while it felt a bit rushed, does finish the picture on a ?? note, leaving the door wide open for a potential sequel..and in quite stylish fashion I must say. "The Hills Have Eyes 2" is certainly a worthy sequel, and should keep fans of hardcore blood, gore, and violence beyond satisfied.

Positives:Great acting by the entire cast, alot of very suspenseful scenes, nice amount of blood, gore, and brutality. Good ending.

Negatives:One of the main characters on the good guys side death was pretty suspect. The pace of the movie slowing down when the cadets enter the cave late in act 2.

Overall:Great sequel despite a few minor issues.





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