Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) Movie Review, Trailer, and Poster

U.S. 2007
Director: Joe Lynch
Cast: Erica Leerhsen, Texas Battle, Henry Rollins, Aleksa Palladino, Daniella Alonso, Ken Kirzinger
Rating: R
Release Date: September 21st 2007
Running Time: 1 hour 33 minutes

The Movie Review

Mutants are on the rise to Stardom! If we have seen a family of mutant living in the rocky mountains just like the one in the Hills Have Eyes, now we have another family of mutants, only they are living in rural area among the woods. What mutant? with claws like Wolverine or other X-men characters? Nope. Totally vicious deformed cannibals who slay whoever unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Starting with the first Wrong Turn in 2003, then the remake of The Hills Have Eyes in 2006, The Hills Have Eyes 2 in March 2007, now in October we already have another one, entitled Wrong Turn 2: Dead End. Before I start to unravel the existence


WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END
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of the mutants, I have to say, that sometimes the movie world isn't fair, because this great movie should have been released widely in theater instead of produced directly as DVD.

At the Greenbrier Back Country in West Virginia, there's a shooting for some kind of survivor-like reality show named The Apocalypse directed by Michael and his girlfriend Mara (Aleksa Palladino). The show's six contestants are vastly ranging from a skateboarder Jonesy (Steve Braun), a seductive Elena (from Final Destination 3), a football player Jake (Texas Battle), a weird chick Nina (Erica Leerhsen), and a soldier Amber (Daniella Alonso). They are formed into three groups, and each group must solve unique problems given by the show. For the sake of the show all contestants are stripped from modern conveniences i.e. cell phones. They have to endure 5 days in the wild, but what seems to be meaningless surviving thing become deadly serious when a family of cannibalistic mutants is apparently living nearby.

Actually I hate this movie...but also admire it. Hate it because this movie in entity is nothing but a rip-off from The Hills Have Eyes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This film even could be said just like The Hills Have Eyes with different cover. Then why do I admire it? Because Wrong Turn 2 is absolutely good! Yes it's ripping off other movies but the way the filmmakers combine those rip-offs with their own material is so powerfully effective. It has successfully brought the old charm of this kinda movie. It manages to grab good aspects from THHE and TCM and makes it into something even more great. Probably the lamest facet of this horror movie is the reasoning why do the lead characters have to be in that Virginia woods on the first place, but I could overlook that.

WT2DE is far livelier than THHE and far more enjoyable (less disturbing) than TCM. The mutants have more characters, which makes them more believable villains. And there are plenty of gory scenes but the filmmakers spare us from actually seeing the unneeded brutality unlike other heartless horror movies. The bottom line is the filmmakers know what makes the audience go shout, chuckle, and scream, if only WT2DE had been released on theater...

The leading cast comprises of Erica Leerhsen the actress from TCM the remake joined with Daniella Alonso the actress from THHE 2 the remake and Texas Battle (Final Destination 3), we seem to have a clearer picture of the originality of this movie. And I do think choosing them was the right choice, for they have already experienced in starring in similar movies, but they also managed to give solid performance, neither wooden nor over-the-top. Put Erica Leerhsen more in the next slasher flicks, than I would certainly see them, not because of my job but because I'm eager to. And of course Kudos also for the great performances of the mutants and the people in makeup department.

If you're searching for a good horror DTV, then buying this movie is anything but a wrong turn. With this good quality of a slasher movie that even beats the first one. I surely hope there will be Wrong Turn 3.

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com