Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Rating: 6/10 (18 March 2006)

I was so so psyched to be seeing this movie, the trailer looked promising, as did the initial reviews, and all this talk of dismemberment, rape, gore and tension got my hopes up. But unfortunately, The Hills Have Eyes went downhill from the opening scene.
Alexandre Aja's Switchblade Romance was actually one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen, perfect on every account. But The Hills Have Eyes was an unimaginable let-down for me. The opening scene was neither scary nor gory, just plain ridiculous. This trend continued throughout the movie. It was just pointless gore, followed by more pointless gore and some strange stunts. Most ridiculous was the fact that a 15/16 (?) year old could make up a security system in the middle of a scorching desert, on his own, without hindrance, it made the movie laughable.
This movie was meant to be sick and disgusting and scarring. It wasn't. It was good FX and VERY LOUD NOISES every 30 seconds. It lacked any tension, atmosphere, or chemistry between the characters. The decision not to show the rape scene or the older sister getting shot in the head was a bad decision, because it leaves little else to merit the 18 certificate, and left the audience bored.
It had a few good points, the body part box was good, as was the music. But that's it...
Clichéd, Over Hyped, Loud and often Pointless, the Hills Have Eyes 2006 is just a wasted opportunity.
4/10