There's gore in them there hills!

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2013)

Remake specialist Alexandre Aja tackled Wes Cravens' 1977 shocker with this balls-to-the-wall, extremely intense sequel, and it's one of those cases where the new version is at least equal to its predecessor. (Some horror fans prefer the newer version.) Once it's got you, it just doesn't let you go, putting characters and viewers alike through an insane bloody ordeal. As a result, it's very entertaining in a very visceral way, but spectacle isn't all that it's got on its mind. It actually brings the political context even more to the forefront. It also devises a different sort of third act wherein the guy who becomes our principal protagonist meets the monsters on their turf, a devastated desert community.
For those who aren't familiar with the story, it deals with a fairly typical urban family on a vacation who travel through some desolate countryside. They make a major mistake when they follow the advice of a decrepit gas station attendant (Tom Bower) and take a shortcut. They then make easy prey for another family, made up of mutated, cannibalistic, savage psychotics who naturally make their presence known once night falls.
It may take a while for some people to start liking the victims, but they do become more engaging once they are able to tap into their inner badasses and go on the offensive. The biggest character arc belongs to Doug (Aaron Stanford), whom the viewer might not expect to be capable of handling the crises. Breathtaking scenery is one asset; this was actually filmed on location in Morocco. Creditable efforts by a top notch cast are another. Ted Levine is macho patriarch Big Bob, Kathleen Quinlan his more reserved, religious wife Ethel. Vinessa Shaw, Emilie de Ravin, and Dan Byrd play their kids, and reliable character actors Billy Drago and Robert Joy are among those playing the creeps. (Drago, playing the 2006 version of Papa Jupiter, ends up utterly wasted, however.) The makeup effects and splatter devised by Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger are excellent and Nicotero also has a cameo as one of the mutants.
Right from the start, with his brutal bit before the opening credits, Aja is determined that his audience not be bored, and he succeeds admirably, keeping the film full of action until its big finish. It follows the story of Cravens' film closely enough for its first two thirds, then goes off on its own path. And it proves to be a hell of a ride.
Craven and Peter Locke (producer of the Craven film) were among the producers on this version.
Eight out of 10.