Fun but over hyped.

Rating: 6/10 (21 May 2006)

Director of the indie hit "Cabin Fever", Eli Roth's 2nd feature and latest horror offering is a starker and potentially more disturbing take vision. Though not without a sense of humor, which seems to deliberately compliment some of the more gruesome of the film, "Hostel" succeeds most for me during the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the picture. Characters and setup are laid out smoothly and an abundance of bare-breasts doesn't hurt either;) However, once things really start to go from bad to worse, it became increasingly difficult for me to continue to take the situation seriously as scenes go over-the-top and humor starts to leak through. While this was likely a conscience choice on the part of the director, for me it hurt the film and my ability to stay engrossed. I'd have rather the tone and story remained consistent and not made the apparent change-up.
Though still bound to be strong medicine for the average mainstream movie goer, Hostel seems unlikely to leave a lasting mark on genre fans. If you've heard comparison's to Miike's "Audition" don't expect to have the same reaction because unlike the latter, this film isn't especially disturbing or horrifying. It's a fun time at the movies and somewhat of a step up forward from "Cabin Fever", but just the same not particularly memorable.