Hatchet – Film Reel Reviews

The slasher flick returns with a squishy thud. – Will

A swamp tour group gets stranded in the woods and must fight to survive against Victor Crowley, a deformed and unstoppable killer.

Written and Directed by – Adam Green

Starring – Joel Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Kane Hodder, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Joel Murray, Joleigh Fioravanti, Richard Riehle, Patrika Darbo, Robert Englund, Joshua Leonard, Tony Todd, John Carl Buechler, Rileah Vanderbilt

What a great way to start the month of October. Hatchet takes all those things that were so great about the 80′s slasher flicks and smashes them all together. People lost in the woods, unstoppable deformed killer, stereotypical characters and lots of gore. I mean lots of it! Hatchet is full of way over the top kills from people getting their heads pulled open, a guy chopped in half and a girl who gets a taste of a belt sander. It’s hard not to love a flick that’s this much fun. It never really seems to be taking itself too seriously and they don’t try to hide the killer either. From the first minute that Victor Crowley is introduced he’s front and center in all his deformed glory.

You go in the woods, you die. Doesn't anyone ever learn?

I first saw this movie a few years ago but didn’t really get into it then. I’ve found a new appreciation for it after another viewing and the humour and gore was a good throwback to the classic slashers of years gone by. It almost seemed like Victor Crowley was a combination of all the greats. Deformed like Jason, killed by fire like Freddy, screaming and grunting like Leatherface, seems like Adam Green grew up on the same flicks that I did. I only wish I had seen this one in theaters when it came out and I’m sure that would have been a blast to be a part of since it has a rowdy crowd type feeling to it. I can imagine the audience hooting and hollering right now.

A face that only a father could love.

Much like the slashers that obviously inspired this movie, Hatchet isn’t exactly full of story. There’s probably almost as much exploration of Victor Crowley as there is with the other characters. They’re quickly introduced and then dispatched as fast, usually with horrific results. That doesn’t leave much to say about the plot. Most of the characters are just unlucky and wind up on the doomed swamp tour but one girl is there to find out what happened to her father and brother. That’s it really. Mostly an excuse to get a bunch of people in the woods to be chopped up.

The ending seems right out of a Friday the 13th flick and is abruptly cut short. I didn’t remember how the film ended and when it came I wondered if my DVD player was messed up. I had to rewind just to make sure and after that ending I’m excited to see how the second film picks up. Lucky for me I’ll be heading out to see that tonight in all it’s unrated glory. I’m hoping they only get better because Hatchet was a great flick. Instead of revisiting the classic 80′s horror flicks, just throw Hatchet in at your Halloween party and you’ll be able to get all your slasher needs fulfilled at once.

Under the marquee – Will