Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews Reviews

Hell House LLC (2015)

Puddles the clown and his unfinished business

[6/10 · 1 May 2024]

I have to say this was decently well done for what it was... an obviously low budget found footage indie horror that ended up being genuinely creepy.

The acting was better than I thought it was going to be and other than some stilted moments here and there, they were pretty convincing. While the semi-reliant and expected use of jump scares were certainly there, it was also solidly creepy in it's only right without that crutch.

Where I would say it was lacking the mostwould be the story. It was just barely developed enough as a vehicle to produce the movie that they wanted to... but it was nothing extensive, particularly interesting or intricate. Yet, there is also something to be said for a good old fashioned, what you see is what you get, simple horror. Also, we have a fun little twist at the end that wasn't particularly original but I still enjoyed it.

For me personally it lacked a bit of intrigue, but I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of successful aspects there actually were here. Although not my top sub- genre, a solid found footage. 6.5 rounding down to a 6, would recommend.

Bed Rest (2022)

I feel well rested after watching this...

[4/10 · 22 April 2024]

I was pretty underwhelmed by this one in all honesty. It wasn't unentertaining per se, it was just so unoriginal and expected it almost made it a little boring.

I didn't develop any real intrigue until about an hour in. The acting was decent enough but the script and the score made it feel pretty hokey and almost dated at times. The majority of the scares relied on auditory and visual jump scares and the creep factor was almost non existent for me. I found the ending, while pretty Hallmark-y, probably the most interesting part of the movie.

In general this was just too generic and blue print for me, leaving me really wanting something interesting and exciting. 4.5 rounding down to a 4, probably would not recommend but maybe not bad for an introduction to horror.

Abigail (2024)

A bloody babysitting nightmare

[7/10 · 19 April 2024]

This was a surprisingly well rounded, well balanced film that I think will quickly settle into a "comfort horror" category for many.

It had the perfect ratios of suspense, comedy and spook. Had a detailed plot but yet simple and not overly convoluted. It had a solid cast that all worked great as an ensemble (Dan Stevens particularly stood out with a great performance). The sfx, blood, guts and gore in this are not lacking and quite gnarly when they hit. It had a great balance between its camp and scare factor and was just generally light hearted, enjoyable and fun.

It felt like it took awhile for the action to actually get started and the general run time definitely felt a bit longer than it actually was... neither of which are ideal. There was also a little family gathering scene at the end that, while I suppose fun, was totally unnecessary.

Despite these small issues there wasn't much to dislike about this experience. Don't go into this thinking you're going to get something revolutionary. They set out to make an absurd vampire flick about a little ballerina and they did just that, successfully might I add. 6.5 rounding up to a 7, would recommend.

The Stranger (II) (2020)

The cameras always watching

[5/10 · 17 April 2024]

So, from what I gather, I understand that this was originally a series that was edited down into a feature. I watched the feature version on Hulu. Despite the fact that maybe there are potential scenes and plot background that were missing from this secondary version, I'm going to judge it as a standalone, since that is all I know.

While this was certainly entertaining and thrilling, it was nothing wildly different or surprising. It took a cat and mouse plot that we have seen many times over, but placed it in todays world revolving around modern technology and social media. I think this twist could've been really interesting but unfortunately, for me personally it edged a little bit on preachy and not fully substantiated... in the way that I think there was a little bit too much left up in the air and leaning on suspension of disbelief. However, with that said, it did make me stop and think about the implications of my virtual footprint. So in that way it was successful.

I am a big fan of Maika Monroe, although this wasn't my favorite performance of hers, she was still great. I think the bad guy was done a slight disservice because you could tell that he was quite the good actor but the script didn't do his character many favor. I just wasn't a fan of the way they set his character up and they didn't really ground him in a way that made sense or gave us any kind of explanation or reasoning. Overall it just kind of made him pretty unbelievable. The actor that played the gas station attendant was by far the best for me. He gave a great performance, and I'd be very interested to see him in something else.

All in all this was an entertaining thriller, just not one I think I will remember a few months from now. 5.5 rounding down to a 5, would recommend.

Malignant (I) (2021)

The adventures of Madison Mordake

[7/10 · 17 April 2024]

I have seen this movie floating around for quite some time with some very mixed reviews, but I pretty much went into it blind. When I finally sat down to watch it I turned it off twice in attempts to find something else to watch... but ended up putting it on for a third time and giving it a go. I'm so glad I did because I ended up actually really loving it.

It's so hokey yet so self aware. It has such a silly premise that requires a good amount of suspension of disbelief and yet it is super clever and fun with some genuine creep factor, awesome effects and dope action sequences. It feels so obviously cringey but in such a purposeful and stylized way that felt like everyone involved went into this knowing exactly what they were making.

This is inevitably going to be polarizing, but if you get it, you get it... if you really understand it for what it is I personally can't imagine not liking it. 7.5 rounding down to a 7, would recommend.

Older Gods (2023)

Gods in the Welsh countryside

[5/10 · 15 April 2024]

Older Gods is a bit of a trippy experience, leaning much more towards a drama/psychological thriller with sci-fi and horror aspects to it.

It generally had quite the slow pace that consistently teetered between tension building and belabored, but edged out on the positive for the most part. It had a nice atmospheric sense of suspense, spook, and existential dread. Throughout, much of the dialogue became drawn out and monotonous on many occasions... seemingly pertinent, yet not overtly so. Despite maybe needing said conversations broken up a bit, I don't know if much of the script and acting helped with this issue.

The main guy, while not a bad actor, felt disconnected and one-note throughout the majority of the film and his performance in high intensity/emotional moments was also a bit underwhelming. There were also quite a few phone calls throughout the film, all of which had stilted and unconvincing voiceovers. Where the acting was quite enjoyable was from the character of the friend on the video. He had a natural and down to earth delivery that was enjoyable to watch.

This movie in many ways was also a visual treat. It looks great with a really nice quality of picture and truly stunning and unsettling visuals throughout. There were some impressive effects that really bumped up the overall quality of this movie as well.

Beautiful technical quality aside, I think the foundation for a really interesting story is here. It felt a little undercooked and lacking some layers, ending up having it more so land on the side of a solid proof of concept. However, I don't think that should take away from what this is as a whole.

Indie filmmaking is an art in and of itself and should be appreciated for exactly that. They made something cool and thought provoking here and while it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, it still deserves its flowers. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, would recommend.

Mother! (2017)

Unrelentingly unsettling into absurdity

[6/10 · 8 April 2024]

This movie, of what I would classify as a psychological thriller, was unrelentingly unsettling and I was glued to the screen the entire time. This piece was one giant religious allegory about Mother Nature, "god" and man kind.

These are not my favorite types of films but this is objectively well done. I think the key to enjoying this film is to not watch it as if it's existing on our plane of reality. That way when it ventures into absurdity in the third act, it doesn't feel quite as crazy or jarring. Also remembering that this movie is essentially one giant metaphor.

When I was watching, I was initially turned off by the third act as it very much reminded me of The House That Jack Built. A movie that is seemingly normal and you end up going, wait...wtf?? After analyzing the experience once it was over, I ended up liking it much more than I think I would normally like a movie of this nature.

It was done with such tact and finesse, with stellar acting and striking visuals it would be hard to not recommend this one. It is most certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea... or even most. But I would say it is certainly worth a shot. Would recommend.

Baghead (2023)

A basement full of parental trauma

[7/10 · 5 April 2024]

To get this out of the way... there are obvious parallels between this film and Talk to Me that are going to be drawn, but to be fair I think we have to keep in mind that they came out less than nine months apart from each other on opposite sides of the world... so the likelihood of one being influenced by the other is slim to none.

I seem to be far more impressed and entertained by this movie than the majority of the reviews thus far. I am also quite biased to a sub genre of Gothic horror and anything magic. I thought the concept here was really intriguing, entertaining and exciting. They also melded said concept into a storyline that made sense and was cohesive.

While the movie as a whole wasn't particularly scary, there was definitely something to be said for the consistent feeling of dread it cultivated. I also thought this was quite successful aesthetically. Again, while not particularly scary it was most definitely creepy and I think the main players in that were the way the sets were, its general atmospheric nature, and while simple, I also quite liked the look of the witch. The acting was also quite solid from the whole cast. Nothing extraordinary but no one stuck out negatively to me.

I did start to get somewhat of a silly/hokey vibe around what felt like the beginning of the third act, but that seemed to fade away towards the end. I found the ending, if not semi predictable, still clever and satisfying. If anything, I would've just loved a little bit more to the lore. There were definitely some loose ends that I would have loved a little more elaboration on.

I have been anticipating this release for quite a few months and was personally not disappointed. For most, this may land closer to a 6... however due to my prior proclivities I am going with a 6.5 rounding up to a 7. Would recommend.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

Hoo Doo you trust

[7/10 · 5 April 2024]

This was a very well rounded, solid thriller/ horror. It had a really intriguing foundation to its plot and gave just enough background and context to have a well developed story but not be overly convoluted. The pacing was good and kept you engaged. I could have done with a little more spook... while it wasn't super scary, it was certainly thrilling and captivating.

The atmosphere was also top notch. The settings and locations were just perfect and added a ton to the tone and vibe. The casting was also spot on, not a sour one in the bunch and our two leading ladies did a great job.

All in all this was just a fun, thrilling and most importantly entertaining experience. I'm partial to anything folk/magic but this is going to be a good one for just about anyone. 7.5 rounding down to a 7, would recommend.

The Rental (2020)

Smile you're on candid camera

[6/10 · 3 April 2024]

This had a lot of similarities to the 13 Cameras trilogy. The best part about this by far was the acting. The ensemble of our four main actors do an excellent job. They all provide a real to life, down to earth performance that keeps you transfixed and engaged. Without them I don't know if this would have been quite as successful. I think their performances really sold the reality and kept the tension up and the vibe grounded. I don't know that all that much really happened to keep the story moving without the actors carrying it. There was barley any background and and even less closure at the end.

With that being said, there was something almost even scarier with the way this was done. There wasn't a lot of explanation and there wasn't a lot of filler... It just felt like a random, real to life, scary occurrence. While I would always prefer a bit more as far as story and closure goes, this movie was successful as is and I think the majority of its success is due to the excellence in performance. 5.5 rounding up to a 6, would recommend.

The Gates (2023)

The black goo is probably not a great sign my guy...

[5/10 · 3 April 2024]

This one landed in a funny place for me...however, overall I enjoyed it (with the knowledge that I do have a bias for period horror lol). It was decently atmospheric and I saw a lot of potential in what they created.

The Gates was a bit of a roller coaster as I saw it. I continually found myself engaged and invested... and the next second I found myself being pulled out of the moment. I think that this was mainly attributed to the script, the acting and some scenery.

While the script wasn't awful by any means, I felt it a bit hokey and underdeveloped at times and certainly didn't do the actors any favors. The acting was extremely hit or miss here. By far the best of the bunch was the uncle. He carried a lot of the weight of what was successful here on his back. Along with some side characters such as some prisoners, the antagonist and the rogue wife. Unfortunately a lot of the other actors were not as successful. The main paranormal investigator guy and his buddy didn't do the production many favors either. The buddy was stiff as a board with extremely stilted delivery but as a side character, that wasn't as detrimental. The main one really had a lot of responsibility here due to the size and importance of his role... and he just didn't do it for me.

I know that it is super difficult and often times expensive to pull off a period piece so kudos for that. The majority of the time it looked really great and convincing. Unfortunately, occasionally our modern day shown through and I was pulled you out of the moment a bit.

I also think that the plot could've been refined a bit. The foundation definitely felt like it was there, but it lost its way at times and became a little convoluted. There were many subplots and interactions that got thrown to the side and felt unnecessary. I noticed this the most with the niece. By not having anything come to fruition with her mother or her potential gift... It almost made her character unnecessary. The ending also fell off the rails a bit and required a good amount of suspension of disbelief... and a bit of suspension of understanding as well.

Now, while I know this feels overwhelmingly negative... while viewing this, you will find that a lot of these issues don't seem to be super detrimental or particularly deterring (at least for me). Also many of these are pretty common while enjoying an indie horror and can be looked past.

I think they swung really big with this movie and while it wasn't 100% successful, I think they created something that was cool, decently entertaining and a production to generally be proud of. While I would love to round up, for me this gets a 5.5 rounding down to a 5, would recommend.

At the Devil's Door (2014)

Almost there...

[5/10 · 3 April 2024]

This had a lot of less than ideal aspects to it, yet overall I surprisingly enjoyed it. I think it was mostly for the atmosphere and some really cool special effects and concepts. The pacing was decent and kept you on your toes with the changing of the main character twice. The foundation of the story, while nothing particularly original, was still intriguing and kept me interested. Unfortunately it didn't go much of anywhere. I wish we had gotten a little more to the story... more background on the origin and more of a substantial ending.

Again, I'm surprised I liked it with as many flaws (in my eyes) as it had. The script was robotic and clunky, the acting was fine to low mediocre, the soundtrack/sound design was odd and slightly distracting and it leaned heavy on cheap jump scares.

However as I said, this ended up being a pretty decent watch to throw on a Sunday night for some casual viewing and a bit of spook. 5.5 rounding down to a 5, would recommend.

Immaculate (2024)

Mehaculate

[6/10 · 1 April 2024]

Let me start this out with the fact that overall this was an enjoyable experience. While they heavily relied on cheap jump scares and gore for their shock factor and spook, it still retained quite a good atmosphere, with solid pacing and interesting action.

My biggest gripe with this is the amount of times we have seen this storyline or something similar without really adding anything wildly new or original to it. Offhand I can think of at least five movies that are extremely similar in plot and vibe to this movie that are just as good if not better. Which begs the question, what was the point and why would I watch this one over any of the others.

I don't think that this lack of originality has to fully negate what successes were in this movie, but it definitely dims them. I also wasn't wowed by the acting. I thought the performance by the lead girl, while not awful, was a tad underwhelming.

It is still certainly worth a watch. It was engaging, unsettling and scary at times. However, if you are well acquainted with the genre, you're not going to be seeing much you haven't seen before. 5.5 rounding up to a 6, would recommend.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Originality on primetime

[7/10 · 1 April 2024]

I think where this one really shined was in its originality. It really felt new, fresh and innovative. It felt like I was watching something that was generally different and unique and that was exciting to me.

They did a solid job capturing that genuine look and vibe of 70's talk shows. They also did a great job balancing the hokey feel of a program of that time and nature with a genuine and unsettling creep factor. When they went for the spook it was quite successful and effective. There were some dope effects and when the movie hit its climax... it was awesome. I was fully on board and pleasantly engaged. The pacing was solid throughout with a great intro, buildup and a fun and surprising finale.

The only thing I would say is I just wish there was more because I was enjoying the story and wanted it to keep going. Yet at the same time I appreciated the abruptness and shock value of the way it ended.

Overall I thought this was a really cool experience and it ended up being quite the breath of fresh air in a sea of regurgitated horror tropes. Would recommend.

Into the Dark: A Nasty Piece of Work (2019) Season 2, Episode 3

Not so home alone

[6/10 · 27 March 2024]

This was much more entertaining than I thought it was going to be, albeit not wildly original. It was a mix of "Would You Rather" and "Ready or Not", but what set it apart was a dash of the absurdity and humor of "Clue".

It took me a bit to settle into the humor aspect. The acting was just a bit over the top in a silly way that didn't 100% land for me. I ended up being fine with it though and accepting it for what it was. It was short and to the point yet still felt like a fully fledged movie, telling me they did a good job with the scene to scene action and pacing.

This is nothing extraordinary or high brow, but it certainly achieved what it set out to do. A light hearted, semi-thrilling comedy/horror... good to throw on around Christmas time. 5.5 rounding up to a 6. Would recommend.

The Monster (2016)

My boy was just hungry, sheesh

[5/10 · 26 March 2024]

This was... perfectly fine. I don't feel like in any way we got an over arcing, well rounded, full story line. It felt like an isolated event with background establishing vignettes that didn't go much of anywhere. Also the story was pretty much just all around sad with not much else going for it.

The characters and the acting were also not my favorite. The little girls acting was passable but I don't know if the mother's quite got all the way there. Both the mother and the little girl character wise were pretty insufferable... I am aware that was the intention here but at what point does it become an unenjoyable viewing experience?

For me however, as a whole this did not edge on unenjoyable. There were plenty of redeeming qualities. The horror aspects here were pretty successful. Atmospheric, jump scares that were solid and not overused, tension building pacing and a decently scary monster.

This isn't going to blow your pants off, but it is a solid creature feature with drama aspects that is an easy watch. Would recommend.

You'll Never Find Me (2023)

A glacial pace

[4/10 · 25 March 2024]

This had some quite solid concepts going for it, unfortunately it was far outshined by its super slow pace and superfluously wordy dialogue.

Not all too much happens until about an hour in. The tension and intrigue are there but it just moves so wildly slow and for the entire first half the characters just take turns saying the most random, cerebral bs to each other... it was kinda wild.

The acting was quite good from both the leads. The ending bit proved to be interesting but not quite enough to save it. With what they had, I think this would have made a lovely little successful short film.

Unfortunately with this execution, it just didn't quite cut it for me. I would recommend if patience is a virtue that you possess. 4.5 rounding down to a 4.

The Geechee Witch: A Boo Hag Story (2024)

A Georgian Geechee

[5/10 · 22 March 2024]

This indie folk horror ended up being an interesting mixed bag. There were some things that I quite liked about it and others that were not as successful.

The first thing I noticed about this production were the beautiful locations in which they filmed. It really set the scene and provided for some really nice aesthetics throughout.

I next started to notice some less than ideal technical issues such as clunky editing and transitions. The sound levels were all over the place and not super well-balanced between room tone, voices, background noise and such. I went to the theater to see this movie and sometimes that magnifies issues that Indie productions often can have that aren't as prevalent or noticeable during an at home viewing... such as some shotty cgi, continuity issues or even something as small as the rooms not being fanned enough after the smoke machine... so that is some thing to keep in mind while reading this.

My favorite sub genre is folk horror which is part of the reason I went out of my way to see this production. While this tale was quite predictable and had an air of familiarity about it... it was still fun, interesting and spooky at times. I wish they had pumped up the creep factor a bit, however. The witch was by far the most successful part. Whenever she was shown she was quite cool and creepy looking which I appreciated.

The whole story was a nice window into a culture that many of us are most likely not well-versed in. Also, this is a slow one for sure. The pacing was lagging a tad bit and not in a tension building way. It seemed to have taken about 30 minutes before any real intrigue set in for me. I'm not a giant fan of when the exposition is delivered in a single long winded, detailed, spoonfed monologue right before the third act and that did happen with this one. Not the end of the world just not my favorite.

The acting was perfectly fine across the board for me. Some nice moments from everyone and some stilted moments from everyone. A lot of these "issues" seemed to improve as the movie went on. As an indie actor I have an appreciation for what they accomplished and they should be proud. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, would recommend.

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

Derivative... but fine.

[5/10 · 22 March 2024]

Coming from someone who knows nothing about the video game but is well acquainted with horror movies, I thought this movie was perfectly fine. It didn't give me anything that felt wildly original or innovative, but was still entertaining for what it was. It felt very much like a reiteration of Black Phone, but taking place in a Chuck E. Cheese.

The story both simultaneously gave me more than I was expecting, and yet nothing really at all. There was no real background to the character's story or why they did what they did. It all felt a bit random and thrown together.

It very obviously set itself up for a sequel so maybe will get some more exposition in the second one but as far as this one goes it kind of just fell middle of the road for me.

Memories of Murder (2003)

Memories of my patience

[6/10 · 28 February 2024]

I must say, I was a tad bit underwhelmed with this one... especially after reading all of the rave reviews. I'm going to attribute it to part language barrier and part cultural significance that I may not be privy to.

I feel like I technically should be classifying this as a thriller, but it came off much more like a drama with comedic and horror elements within it. There wasn't all that much particularly "thrilling". While I feel like some aspects teetered on really achieving the thrill factor, I also feel that what was successful in that realm was diminished by its long run time and laborious and inconsistent pacing. It also didn't help that the ending was pretty unfulfilling.

However, despite the "down time" in the plot, what was there was intriguing and engaging. If they could have edited it down a bit and made it more concise I think it would have been more successful personally. There was solid acting and fun comedic elements within a dark and haunting subject matter. For me to recommend this I'd require a decent amount of patience. 5.5 rounding up to a 6.

The Secret of Sinchanee (2021)

A slowww stroll through the woods

[5/10 · 28 February 2024]

Since folk horror is my favorite sub genre, I wanted to like this one a lot more than I actually did. I actually found it to be relatively frustrating on a few levels because it definitely had solid potential that it just didn't live up to.

Now, don't get me wrong... this wasn't a bad movie by any means. However, I just don't think I should walk away from a movie with a two hour run time and feel like not all that much really happened. I think that the foundation was there but the execution left you hanging a bit... similar to the underwhelming ending.

The acting was not great from pretty much everyone involved. Main guy was decent and female cop had some moments but that was about it. Although this seemed like a mostly negative review, this was fine to pass the time with and had some interesting and cool concepts throughout. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, would aloofly recommend.

Desolation (I) (2017)

Mother/Son bonding...

[5/10 · 28 February 2024]

I wanted to like this one more than I did. It wasn't bad per se but I think it was majorly lacking in the story department. They had this grief/coming-of-age story line throughout but really kinda severely neglected the horror storyline.

I mean, we got nothing... no clue who this dude was, what his motivations were or just any real context surrounding that whole portion of the movie... which unfortunately really left me wanting. Also the scary dude just plainly wasn't scary for me. They didn't give him much to work with so at the end of the day it really fell onto aesthetics and he just wasn't creepy to me. I'm sure they were attempting to evoke a sense of mystery but instead it just felt under developed. The pacing was pretty slow throughout and the ending was also generally unfulfilling and not my favorite.

The best part about this movie by far was the acting. Our two female leads gave really great, down to earth performances and I was really pleasantly surprised. The kid did a decent job as well. This is certainly nothing to write home about but ended up being a decent watch to just throw on and enjoy some good acting. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, would recommend.

Awake (2007)

A Mother's love

[6/10 · 28 February 2024]

Sometimes it can be tricky judging a movie 15+ years after it's released. This was intriguing and fun with twists and turns creating quite the engaging and fun little thriller.

However, I do feel its predictability squandered some of the potential thrill. Now, maybe 15 years ago this felt a bit more original and a little less predictable but in my opinion, by todays standards, it was relatively straight forward. That certainly doesn't go for every little twist, but a lot of the main ones were foreseeable.

With that said, I don't think you should let that take too much away from this movie. It was still well done, well acted and first and foremost... entertaining. 5.5 rounding up to a 6, would recommend.

Moon Garden (2022)

The silent evil within Emma's labyrinth

[7/10 · 27 February 2024]

This was a wild and beautiful fever dream that gave me an amalgamation of vibes reminiscent of Pans Labyrinth, The Evil Within and Silent Hill. I've had this movie on my radar for at least the past year or so, so I was pleased to sit down and finally give it a view.

While we got our 2 base storylines down - the real world physical and emotional trauma and then the fantasy manifestation of said traumas... otherwise, there wasn't all too much else that satiated my desire for a substantial plot or storyline. I felt like I was really missing a "tale" more than "trying to get home" that I was really wanting. I felt it leaned more towards the cerebral side with a plethora of metaphors, symbolism, allegories and a general "artsy-fartsy" take. On one hand, this added to the beauty, chaos and dream like state of confusion. On the other hand, it left me a little wanting and looking for something to cling my attention onto to stay engaged.

And yet, at the same time it was impossible to look away from the screen. This movie was a literal visual feat. I mean, this was pretty next level. The visuals, imagery, concepts, effects, sets and props and so much more really took up for a lot that I felt was missing. As stated, it is certainly reminiscent of things, but I'd dare to say you have never seen anything that is quite exactly like this before.

I don't know if it was the platform I was viewing this on or a stylistic choice or what but there were continual fade to black cuts as if they were cutting to a commercial that were very odd. It almost gave me a sense of nostalgia but primarily were distracting. Also the acting here was a bit distracting as well. Not the worst I've ever seen but not my favorite. However, shout out to the princess, she gave a lovely monologue.

All in all this was a very intriguing and unique experience. I don't think this will be everyone's cup of tea and will certainly be polarizing for people... but good art always is. I would encourage you to give it a shot. 6.5 rounding up to a 7, would recommend.

The Collection (II) (2012)

And what a collection it was...

[6/10 · 23 February 2024]

This was quite different from the first. It was much more of a torture porn action cop drama. It wasn't bad by any means but it didn't have the same allure that the first one did... it didn't have the same sense of intrigue or finesse and required a solid amount of suspension of disbelief.

We didn't get much as far as background or character development went, and the story was pretty basic if not lacking. It was generally over-the-top, often times ridiculous and was missing the more down to earth vibe the first one possessed. Again, not a bad experience just when in comparison to its predecessor it pales a bit.

Despite these negatives, when looked at as a stand alone it was a fun watch with some gnarly visuals/imagery. It certainly isn't going to fall into the classics but it was entertaining and worth a watch, especially if you enjoyed the first one. 5.5 rounding up to a 6, would recommend.