Much better than the original

Rating: Null/10 (21 March 2006)

The Joe Cool Review: The Hills Have Eyes(2006)
Starring: Aaron Stanford as Doug Bukowski, Kathleen Quinlan as Ethel Carter, Vinessa Shaw as Lynne Bukowski, Emilie de Ravin as Brenda Carter, Dan Byrd as Bobby Carter, and Ted Levine as Bob Carter
Plot: A family on their way to California is taken down the wrong road and is stalked and killed off by a group of inbred mutant cannibals, altered by nuclear testing years before. Who will survive?
Openers: Wow. You know I knew going in that there was no way that this movie could be worse than the original, and it actually looked good. And it was! Was no surprise though somewhat as Alexandre Aja did a great job with Haute Tension and I expected more of the same. Since this is a remake, I should go ahead and announce any changes, without spoiling the movie of course. The cannibals are mutants now, thanks to nuclear testing. The events in this one are pretty much the same as the original, only with some pretty cool twists added(like the testing village and the auto graveyard) to spice things up a bit.
The Good: The script and acting are worlds better than it's predecessor. First of all we are graced with the presence of Ted Levine, who plays Big Bob. He's awesome in everything I've seen him in, whether it be Silence of the Lambs, the creepy trucker voice in Joy Ride or even Monk. He's pretty good here too, and I liked his character. His constant shots at his son-in-law Doug are funny. The rest of the cast does well too, for the most part. Aaron Stanford does a much better job as Doug than the guy in the previous movie, as he doesn't OVERACT. This movie also features it's fair share of gore and genuinely creepy moments that make you squirm. The make-up effects used to create the mutants(especially Big Brain) are nothing short of spectacular. You can tell a lot of work went into it and it pays off. Some of the mutants are just disgusting, which is how they should be. It takes the creepy factor to a new level.
The Bad: This movie isn't perfect. Still going with the previous story, the family is still not that bright. They still listen to the creepy old guy in an abandoned gas station in the middle of nowhere and they go down that road. They still split up and make some stupid decisions. And they still act calm around signs that should be disturbing(again, the auto graveyard!) and make them want to get out of there as soon as possible. Emilie de Ravin and Dan Byrd were annoying as the kids. Especially Dan Byrd. We also get a somewhat abrupt ending this time as well, although with a little more closure.
The Ugly: There's a really disturbing scene in the movie that involves the mutants forcing themselves onto two women that made me and from what I saw everyone in the audience pretty uncomfortable. It helps to establish the gritty tone of this movie but regardless, it belongs in this category.
Final Verdict: Not only does this do better than the original, but it's pretty good in it's own right. It didn't pull any punches and therefore it became true horror, which is what horror is supposed to be. Horror is supposed to make you scared and uncomfortable. And this does that effectively.
Rating: ***1/2 of *****