"Cabin in the Woods" Rejuvenates a Tired Genre

Rating: 7/10 (6 May 2012)

"The Cabin in the Woods" is a slasher film for folks who don't like slasher films. That's because this film doesn't like the slasher genre either. It satirizes the hell out of it and then adds a heavy dose of repentance and Biblical-like retribution. There's some nice performances especially Kristen Connolly as Dana the intelligent and resourceful girl in the group of twenty-something explorers who venture into the wilderness and end up getting more adventure than they bargained for. Fran Kranz is very good as Marty the joker who has devised an ingenious delivery system for getting stoned. Chris Hemsworth and Anna Hutchison are the jock and his girlfriend. Completing the group is Jesse Williams as Holden the serious-minded college student who declines an opportunity to see Dana au natural. There's also a family straight out of "Night of the Living Dead" and a mysterious group of techie types who observe and manipulate Dana and friends according to some preconceived plan. If Wes Craven began the process of poking fun at slasher films, Goddard and Whedon have added self-criticism and social commentary while keeping you entertained throughout.