Wrong Turn 2: Dead End

Any reasonably successful horror film inevitably winds up spawning a sequel. The original Wrong Turn featured some inventive deaths and pretty decent lead performances but disappeared upon release in cinemas. However, it performed much better on DVD, hence the straight-to-disc debut of its sequel.

To be fair, the makers of Wrong Turn 2: Dead End have tried to make it at least slightly more original than its predecessor, by setting its story in the world of reality television.

The movie starts with a TV show host, a director and a producer casting six contestants to appear in a new survival-type of show, called Apocalypse, allowing each individual's character to be set up and explaining their strengths and weaknesses quickly.

Typically loaded with stereotypes, the leads are very hard to care for and it is only Dale (Henry Rollins), the TV show host, who inspires you to root for him once the gang is targeted by the inbred cannibals roaming the forest where the show takes place.

The evil looking creatures aren’t quite as effective as they were in the original film, when they were helmed by FX guru Stan Winston. Here they appear as a cheaper version of their original incarnations. Director Joe Lynch has tried hard to make this movie special in its own right and delivers probably the best direct-to DVD sequel I have seen to date. He uses inventive camera work and some neat kills - a little reminiscent of a young Sam Raimi, as the camera roams the woods following flying axes, spears and mangled limbs.

Torture is firmly on the menu, as the film is filled with buckets of blood and gore. People explode, are decapitated, dismembered - you name it, it happens. The script really pushes the boundaries of decency, and that’s the whole point. Given the weak storyline they had to shock the audience - and in terms of shock value they have succeeded.

Rollins is completely in the zone and has a blast playing a Rambo type who takes on the cannibals and tries to save the day.

An average way to spend an evening - horror fans will like the gore and the pace moves relatively quickly, but overall this is instantly forgettable viewing.