The Hills Have Eyes (2006) Movie Review
Sunday, February 26, 2006
I'll say one thing for the new remake of The Hills Have Eyes: You certainly get what you're expecting, and then some. It's full of lots of disgusting, gory moments, with plenty of startling jumps that make you pop out of your seat and/or grab the person next to you. I just wished I liked the film more.As it stands, the film is fairly routine. And not just because you literally have seen this movie before. At least, most of you who love horror films have seen this before. It's an old Wes Craven movie from the 1970s. The story's pretty much the same, but the film has been updated to satisfy the blood lust of youth culture. If anything, the film is better than most of the PG-13 released horror films these days.
The story is simple. Out in the desert, a group of mutated miners make a living trapping stranded tourists and killing them. Well, first torturing them, then eating them. Sometimes, they throw a little rape into the mix. Seriously, no taboo is left untouched in this film. Anyway, a dysfunctional family traveling in a large truck and a winnebago decide to take a "short cut" suggested by a sketchy gas station attendant. There's a spike strip that totals the car and leaves the family stranded in the middle of nowhere. Then the torturing begins.
What sets this movie apart, and what I give it a bit more credit for, is the acting. The cast assembled is pretty damn solid, even if the material around them is so familiar. Aaron Stanford (who played Pyro in X2) is Doug, your main character in a way, as he is the one who decides to take action once things start happening, and you actually begin to relate to his character. You would take the action he does if your family, including your newborn daughter, were in danger. He's ably backed by Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs) as his gruff father in law and Kathleen Quinlan (from Breakdown, which is eerily similar, but much better made) as his mother in law. Also in the family are Vinessa Shaw (the hooker from Eyes Wide Shut, or the hot girl from Ladybugs, depending on how far back your memory goes) as his wife, Emilie de Ravin (from Lost) as the sexy sister in law, and Dan Byrd as the younger son. Together, they portray a rather realistic family who have spent far too much time together on a road trip.
On the flip side of the coin is the mutant family. The main actor I recognized was Robert Joy as the head mutant. He played Charlie in Land of the Dead, and here, he is also hidden under some impressive make up. He's also truly frightening in his actions. There are others in the family, deformed from radiation testing in their home, and they're hungry. The actors raise the game above what the movie essentially is, and therefore, I give credit where credit is due.
The film was directed by Alexandre Aja, who brought us last year's High Tension. I still haven't seen High Tension, even though I'm told it's quite good. I imagine the experience is the same as this film. It's filmed well enough, and manages to create a nice level of fear and paranoia, with a nice dash of vengeance thrown into the mix. But from what else I've heard, the script is lacking just like here. It's not for lack of trying, however. I wasn't kidding when I said this film breaks no taboo. It's pretty gruesome. Much like the current Degrassi Junior High series, it goes there. (Bad pun only a few will get, but for those of you who do, kudos). It's pretty unsettling.
Overall I can recommend this film slightly. There are far more inventive horror films out there, and there are also a lot more fun ones to boot. Still, it's not a complete waste of time, and for those of you jonesing for a good thrill, this will be your flick of choice. At least for a weekend. Or a drunken rental evening. You could also just rent the original and ponder the state of horror films these days, and wonder which classic will be next to the chopping block.
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posted by Evil @ 5:36 AM,
