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Not the greatest movie, but as a slasher fan I liked it. The kills and gore were more than I expected and I really enjoyed them. The movie was funny and not all that serious but it was still good. Kane Hodder was a great slasher again, really made me like saying "VICTOR CROWLEY LIVES."
One of the craziest, as in fun crazy, horror films ever made. This is a straight up, doesn't take itself seriously at all slasher thrill ride. The plot is bare bones but who cares when it's so much fun. It's good to see a cameo from Robert Englund but even better to have Kane Hodder play not one, but two characters. The cast of characters are great, from the shonky tour operator to the two dumb blonde soft core porn star wannabes. The main attraction is definitely the ridiculous OTT violence. This film has the best kills ever put on screen and just have to be seen to be believed. Blood flows like a fire hose in this, limbs are hacked, necks twisted and broken, you name it. This is one for a beer/joint pizza night. It's funny violent stuff and one of the wildest movies since Doomsday. Enjoy it for what it is and you'll have a ball.
I guess I get what they were going for (kinda), but this felt like a cheap and lame Friday the 13th with more gore. The gore was cool, but there was no mystery or suspense- it was just a bad slasher remake with extra gore and a killer in a bad costume that is fully shown on screen way too much (no scare or jump factor once you see the killer). Maybe if I had seen this in the theatre on opening night I would have enjoyed it more, but as a DVD it wasn't that great and I don't understand why people like it so much! I love campy horror and gore, but this movie was just lame. I feel like I coulda made this movie better in my backyard :(
Posted By: !!rogue!! at 5:25pm, September 22, 2009
Good gore, good ending, but the acting was terrible... Victor Crowley is fuking ugly, but he is awesomely brutal and is gruesome in a different perspective... It was a decent watch and recommend it to anyone who likes gore.
This is the Freddy/Jason of our time, Victor Crowley a.k.a. Hatchetface. Filled to the brim with insane, over-the-top gore, genuine frights, surprize cameos and toilet humour, it is a cult classic already and will be remembered for years to come. The director, Adam Green, is the new dark horse of horror, and I look forward to his future work.
I'd watch this movie over any of these supposed based on a true event ghost movies that are total crap.Yes the dialogue is cheesy in a good 80's humor way.The killings are a refreshing flashback to gory makeup effects.With a great perfomance from Kane Hodder as Crowley.I also appreciated the old school slasher ending.If you don't have a japenese remake corncob up your rear you'll at least laugh more than a few times at this future cult classic.
This movie sucked totally....I want better horror movies.....this was not even funny it was so lame and I couldn't even watch the ending....I really try to stop watching crap like theses types of movies.
i was sooooo hyped for this how could i not be the tagline was"old school american horror"...thats what im talking about right...well nah,it was fun and a bit goofy i was expecting scary(well thats what i wanted)but didnt get it,i liked the deaths they def stick out as the redeeming quality of this flick but it was just that some decent dialogue and some cool deaths.
Pretty entertaining, funny and gory as hell. This movie reminded me of the good old days of horror movies. There's nothing thought provoking or intellectual about it, just pure old fashioned slasher fun.
I never read much about this movie except little blurbs here and there and only seen the trailer by accident on the "His name was Jason" disc.
It was after watching that trailer that I purchased the movie and I am glad I did. It truly does take horror back to what it once was - entertainment!
The movie is fun in every aspect. It features great dialogues, interesting characters, nudity, comedy, and most of all blood and guts. It reminded me of those old Roger Corman monster movies. They didn't require you to think much about the movie but to sit down, enjoy a cold one and have fun. And in that aspect the movie delivers full force. I would actually go as far as to say that this is closer to a Friday the 13th movie than the new remake. Go see Hatchet now! Kane Hodder, you truly are the KING OF HORROR!
Posted By: Necronatalusz at 1:41am, February 23, 2009
Nothing about this film seemed to do it for me, yet I'm reluctant to give a bad review because I think maybe there is something about it I just didn't "get".
Aside from the gore I didn't really see the connection to any of the 'old school' slashers, as that they always employed a measure of suspense that this film seemed to have discarded. In fact one of my favourite staples of genre was that you usually didn't see much of Jason/Freddy/Michael until the last act, but since Victor Crowley runs right up to the camera after pretty much the first kill it didn't feel like there was anything interesting or mysterious about him after that.
So then I started to think maybe I'm coming at it all wrong and this is really one of those self-referential parodies, like 'Behind the Mask,' but there wasn't really anything funny or clever about it.
There was a lot of gore but so what... if it's not within the context of a well made film you might as well just watch a series of fx tests.
Basically I don't understand what this movie is trying 'be', so it puts me in the position where I have to evaluate it at face value, which is to say that I thought it was shit.
If you are however, looking for a film that is entertaining/clever/funny/scary and full of gore I would strongly suggest Behind the Mask over this steaming pile any day of the week.
This film certaintly holds it's place with the great 80s slashers. Victor Crowley is a brutal killer and one of the best. The gore scenes in this are both sick and amazing, I did not see any CGI gore effects which made me glad. I think they focused to much on the comedic element and gore and didnt really focus on the scares. Also some of the characters (namly the strippers) really annoyed me which is why i give it an 8 out of ten
Posted By: Slaser Maniac at 6:49pm, February 3, 2009
the third best slasher Movie i've seen so far this year. A great bloody tale. It had alot of violence and gore.I heard theres another movie coming out and im so excited to see it. This is a good movie. See It!q
Posted By: bloodlust89 at 10:52pm, January 28, 2009
I hadn't really heard any of the hype surronding this movie, I just saw it when I was browsing through a movie store, and boy am I glad I did! I think Hatchet has the potential to become the next great slasher franchise. It had a decent story line, and did a good job of giving us the background info. Victor Crowley is one bad ass dude, who provides us with some creative and amazingly gorey kills. This movie is one of the best at sticking to its tagline of "Old School American Horror", producing and film with over-the-top death and nudity. It also has a nice, suttle, comedic accent to it. All in all, my pick for the best recent slasher film, and I can't wait for the sequel. 9/10
Posted By: AshWilliams95 at 1:29am, January 23, 2009
I've got 2 words for hatchet, BAD ASS! This movie is one of my all time favorite slasher flicks. Lets start with the storyline. Its awesome, victor crowley a poor deformed young boy is bullied by a group of kids on halloween who accidentally light his house on fire while his dad is gone. When victor's dad comes home he sees the house on fire, he grabs his hatchet and begins to slice down the door, but he doesn't know that victor is on the other side of the door and his dad accidentally hits him straight in the face with his hatchet killing him. His dad died 10 years later of a broken heart. Now whoever goes near the burned down remains of the house near the swamp is violentley attacked by the ghost of victor crowley. Soon a chinese guy begins to take boat tours down the haunted swamp, on his second tour down there he crashes into some rocks and the boat won't start up. Now the group must find a way out of the swamp before good old victor comes charging out of the bushes with his hatchet in hand.
The characters and acting in this movie was wicked, the characters each had their own different personality and it was extremely funny at times to watch how the dealt with different situations. The dialogue was good and the jokes were hilarious, there is one part in the movie where the guy yells out to victor crowley "You look like you've been molested by wolves!" to get his attention. I burst out laughing on that scene. The acting was believable and relistic, some of the characters were annoying and it was so satisfying to see them meet their gory demise. Victor crowley was HUGE and extremely powerful, he can tear people's heads off with his bare hands! Think of him as Jason voorhees and Leatherface combined with added ugly. It was good to see he wasn't wearing mask like what many slasher films have done. He is probably my favorite slasher icon now, alongside with michael myers and jason voorhees.
The gore in this movie was sick, revolting and totally kick ass! Some of the deaths were original and every death looked realistic and awesome. The blood looked real and the idea of a killer with a hatchet is cool. My favorite death from this movie was the belt sander scene. If you've seen the movie you know what I'm talking about.
The atmosphere and setting was great, a scorched haunted house next to a freaky looking swamp filled with crocidiles. The suspense was through the roof and I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I was under it. The whole mood of the film was dark and dupressing as it should be in a slasher movie, the forest surrounding the swamp is thick and dense, the group soon get lost in it with no idea at all where they are.
The ending was awesome, NO SURVIVORS! Hell yea! That's what we like to see. You don't get to see the last 2 people get killed off but you know it happens. This movie had one of the best endings of all time.
Overall hatchet was a sweet trip back into the golden days when slasher movies were alive and well and much better then all the crap that comes out today. The villian was original and extremely likeable and pretty much everything was likeable about this movie. If you don't like this movie then you need to see a doctor straight away. I give hatchet a well deserved 10/10
Posted By: HarryWarden at 2:43pm, January 18, 2009
Hatchet is hands down the best movie I've seen this decade, its loaded with over the top gore, nudity, and a classic style slasher story. This is truly a must see for any fan of the horror genre!
I really hope they make a sequel to this because Hatchet reminded horror fans that writers and directors still have an imagination and can make up new horror icons and storys
At last a film that lives up to its hype! An awesome mix of extreme violence and gore, sprinkled with some wonderful comic moments. A pure B-horror slap-stick of a film that never takes itself seriously. Hopefully Kane Hodders Victor Crowley will become a new horror icon? I cant wait for the sequel.
I give the director props for this one. He made the kind of horror movie he always wanted to see and it turn one I wanted to see. The special effects were well crafted. It had a fun 80's feel and I liked that.
It's good that something different has been released thats a throw back to old slashers. I think its a very entertaining movie and hopefully they turn it into a series.
Excellent film. Its nice to see a good old school 80's slasher flick hit the screens. Direction was awesome and did exactly what he set out to do, that was make a tongue in cheek, bloody, monster, revenge, fun-filled cheesy film. Brilliant. One of the best slashers seen in recent years.
Posted By: bdwolfe312 at 12:39am, December 23, 2008
It wasn't at all what I expected, but it was still a lot of fun. I found there to be nothing remarkable in the film, but it stays to it's word of "old school American horror". Over the top violence, corny acting, creative deaths, and senseless nudity...all of the elements are there, except for a good story. Curl up on the couch with pizza and a beer and take it for what it is.
Posted By: DiegOmen16 at 3:07pm, December 19, 2008
I dont really know what to say about hatchet i mean its sort of scary,bloody and fun in one side but in the other side its a comical worthless piece of shit with the stupidest people in the planet so im just gonna say its an OK pizza movie night so you can laugh and get scared by the giant Victor Crowley.
Okay, I get it..."Old School American Horror", a throwback to the 80's, good ol' gory fun... But it was only fun when they were'nt trying so hard to make it fun! Some good death scenes though! And I did like the baddie.
Posted By: Ardeth Blood at 8:35am, December 7, 2008
It was good to see a new myth created for the center of the plot.
Hope this one catches on.
I only got this movie a while ago on an hunch.
And I do not regret it.
While the director/writer of the piece, Adam Green harks back to the era of 80's movies he manages to recreate it with so little fault that you let the occasionally slip up pass by.
Whilst originally the lure of watching this was to see Tony Todd, Robert Englund and Kane Hodder it didn't take long for my attention to lead away from them and toward the characters you know are inevitably going to get killed off.
The storyline is simplistic which adds as unlike previous predecessors it does not attempt to manipulate or twist and turn to the point you don't know where you are headed.
The Killer is a awesome creation and makes for some of the darkest moments of the movie. The one downside to this movie is timing, but if you can get past the trivial part, its worth the ride.
Blood, guts and gore flies and after the first death things just get more and more messed up. And lastly for me what elevated this movie above many others currently abtaining the market is the Special Features are worth watching.
There are hidden gems that will have new and appreciating fans laughing so much they will not know what's hit them.
For all the faults that could be seen, it is in one description. Funny, original and a worthy movie in the Horror genre. I guarantee that one day the creation of Victor Croweley will be mentioned in the same breath of air as Kruegar and Jason.
A brilliant, post modern take on 80's Horror that will stay sharp in young minds. Absolutely Brilliant.
Not at all what I expected. The story was great, music good as well, most of the acting was acceptable, the design of Victor Crowley was awesome. This film starred 3 legendary actors; Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley and his father; Robert Englund as the one girl's father; and Tony Todd as a voodoo store owner. This was a comedy-horror film, which only suits Army of Darkness. And I'm not a big fan of comedy-horror films. Another thing that I really liked and I know most other people did, were the executions. The executions were amazingly awesome. Tons of blood and gore and really creative.
Posted By: 0zzyCrowley at 11:43am, October 23, 2008
Holy fuck amazing midnight movie. I describe this movie to friends as an 18A (basically a Canadian R) version of "Are you afraid of the Dark?" haha. Gore is amazing, deaths VERY original
Posted By: MikaylaTHEend at 5:21am, October 14, 2008
Wow best good old school horror movie, in awhile. I watched the rob zombie remake of halloween right after and honestly it had nothing on Hatchet. And if you watched the extra features, it is insane. the prop man built the gas powered belt sander the killer took to the girl's face. yea, makes you want to work in the props department. lol.
Posted By: HisNextVictim at 6:08pm, October 11, 2008
Great gore, good acting, its amazing that a horror movie gets these credentials these days :P
Hatchet
(Circuit City Exclusive 2 Disc Version)
(8.5/10)
Pros:
*Harks back to the golden age of the 80's Horror.
*Horror Icon Kane Hodder not only is in it, but he plays two roles!
*Even has it's humorous moments without diluting the frights.
Cons:
*In a way, it's just a revival-like copy of the non-CGI slasher era.
Nothing really new to see here.
*A slight misuse of Tony Todd and an overuse of Joel David Moore.
*An ending that may leave you wanting more.
Well, at least I feel a hundred times better about picking this one up than I do about Halloween '07!
This was fun. Simple, brainless fun. There is nothing ground-breaking here, a story you've seen over and over again, but it sticks out much more. Very interesting kills that I haven't quite seen before. The "no CGI" rule here is a pleasant surprise, especially to a fan like me who lived when there was no CGI available in the first place.
I'll admit this movie isn't perfect, it has flaws. Victor Crowley's look is odd. I kept wondered if the makers of the 1980 movie "The Elephant Man" would eventually sue, his look is that close. And even though the mix of humor and horror was very well distributed, it did tend to lead itself dangerously close to "Scream/Scary Movie" territory, a place that I don't want to visit during a film with gore effects to be taken seriously, but luckily like I said, it was at a good level. Also, the lead was played by Joel David Moore, a six-foot plus looking geek that I first saw as the Matrix-obsessed game programmer in the comedy "Grandma's Boy", and that was hard for me to shake at times, this kid truly reeks of second-banana geek, not horror film leading man. And what about "The Sopranos" like ending? Good...bad? I'm still not sure....
Anyway, I bought this for only $9.96 (price-matched to WalMart) and got the exclusive Circuit City 2-Disc edition. All it really has is the unrated disc and the R-rated one, so if you bought either, your disc is in here. And what's the difference between the cuts? 31 seconds. Seriously...but that half minute does make a hell of a difference.
To a old-school fan of Friday The 13th, Halloween, and countless other slasher films of the 80's, this brought back great memories and earns to be beside them in my collection. After the recent tragedy of Halloween '07, this gave my hope of modern-day Horror a little more much needed boost.
This was a good movie. It is basically just a unaltered, tried and true slasher movie. The antagonist is some weird deformed thing and his weapon of choice...you guessed it he uses a hatchet and he mauls the crap out of a bunch of stranded tourists. The movie ends with your stereotypical girl survivor and some idiotic protagonist getting chased down by the villain. Anyhow, you can assume what will happen the whole movie and probably be right. That doesn't make this a waste of time, its just not anything you haven't seen before.
Posted By: Protecious at 1:06pm, September 30, 2008
Wow, what a pleasure watching this throwback to 80s slasher films this was, i reallly liked this movie alot , it reminds me of some mid to late 80s films like pumpkinhead, scarecrows, but with a more human like villian with a reason for revenge, it's not the most original story in the world, but the ride itself was a blast and overall one of the best horror movies to come out of the year it did.
it just sucked waiting for the dvd for what seemed like 3 long years. long live victor crowley!
Victor Crowley is definitely a slasher on the rise! Hatchet is one the best slasher films I have ever seen. Its funny and insanely gory with very original and (sometimes) over-the-top kills. I also loved the ending because it left me questioning 'What really happens to Mary Beth?' Those of who love slasher films need to see this movie.
not what you would expect from a film with robert englund in , as you watch you just KNOW whats comeing next infact you could be asleep and know what comeing next , dont waist your time .
Easily one of the most insanely gory films in recent memory, 'Hatchet', while delivers some invulnerably cheap shocks and sensational gore, is just too cheap, too unfunny, and the plot is just too thin for my tastes. I didn't enjoy the film.
Hatchet IS a return to old school horror. I loved this film from beginning to end! The characters were, well, charachters and that is what I liked about it. So fun to watch, the kills were great, boobies flying in with the way they did it, it was hilarious. I highly recommend this one if your in the mood for a slasher flick with some fun! 8/10
don't waste your time on this. I was looking forward to it, and it turned out to be a complete disaster. A jason knock off with a stupid monster design.
This has been one of the best slashers in awhile. It was great to go back to the friday th e 13th films! The movie was hilarious and the acting was great. The killer was awesome and tthe neding was awesome. i am definitely going to buy this soon.
This film for me shows how much can be given to the world with a low budget. Great Effects many of which could possibly be made on a cheap budget for indi film makers. Story was great finaly the outcast gets his revenge for his past.
great movie full of the fun that made me start watching horror movies to start with. The story was good enough and then dialogue was fantastic i was laughing out loud alot. the typical players in the movie were great.
I was thrown back to Friday the 13th films. And I really enjoyed it, the gore was fantastic and there were some funny parts that made me giggle. I think this was made to remind people of the old 80's slasher film. A good one to watch with your friends.
It's also nice to see Hodder still behind horrid make up FX, it's like the film was made for him. rock on Hodder xx
Hatchet reminded me so much of a Friday the 13th film. Honestly that's probably the reason I enjoyed it so much. Of course there's no story, it's a slasher flick... a slasher flick with a story is an oxymoron. Take it for what it is: a lot of fun.
I was so hyped for this movie and it didnt let me down one bit. The gore was awesome and it was really funny to at the same time. Victor Crowley was an awesome character and I hope he becomes a horror legend like Freddy or Jason.
It had a great story line and pretty good filming, the cast was pretty good as well. I liked the music during the credits but the rest sucked it was extreamly cheasy.
overall this was a pretty good movie and deff worth seeing. great killings and lots of blood! :D
Easily the best kills EVER...in ANY movie.
Especially Dion Richmond's death. Looks like the Token Black Guy (see Not Another Teen Movie) gets smashed again. Ha ha....ok, not even remotely funny.
Nice job getting all the icons together again with Englund, Todd, and of course Hodder.
If this movie did not set out from the beginning to be a cliche of 70/80's slasher films I would probably hate it but over all it was a fun ride and was a great tribute to the genre.
This was the best slasher flick i saw since Nightmare On Elm Street and Halloween. This film was amazingly shot. The comedy is great. The gore is amazing. This is a salute to horror and why we watch our beloved genre. Just ignore Jicle comments, he/she doesn't know horror obviously. This movie is an A+ film. Thanks Adam.
This movie is complete shit, victor corwley moves like a fucking robot, The people that were dieing could have easily killed victor when he was on the ground, like when he got shot, when ben stabbed him with a pitchfork, when he was on fire, there were so many good chances they had to take him out but didnt. This movie sucks so bad, the blood sprays were too dramatized, and un-realistic. The jokes and comedy attempts were lame as shit
Absolute shit. To think there was a time that I bought into the 'Hatchet-hype' and was actually excited to see this "80's throwback". This film is awful on almost every level that exists in filmmaking. To be fair, a couple of the kills are worth a laugh, but it's not worth your time or money to see it. Do yourself a favor and stick to Friday the 13th films.
Posted By: kimberrflakes at 3:00pm, February 22, 2008
This movies good for a laugh at best, although the gore does tickle my fancy. The plot line sucks, and the actors are entirely worthless. I did enjoy how it has the aspect of every good horror movie, but it just wasn't cutting it.
Posted By: kaufmanfan at 11:55am, February 22, 2008
awesome. this is truly the best best slasher film in years.
Posted By: Piscatella at 9:22pm, February 10, 2008
don't care if it makes you reminiscent of 80's slasher films... IT WAS NOT GOOD!!! poor story, poor characters, STUPID dialog with STUPID jokes, poor directing. REALLY GOOD splatter though... But it doesn't justify it's existence. Sorry but I think the movie sucked big time!
I love this movie for all it has....it has comedy...horror...blood....nudity....a token black guy who knows hes going to die...and btw..he was TOKEN in Not another teen movie...CLASSIC....i saw this in theaters and loved it...Anyone who loves 80's horror should definitely watch this, and I hope Adam Green decides to make a sequel but later down the road.
Posted By: Ron Ferrell at 11:21am, February 6, 2008
Posted By: cloverfielder at 1:25pm, February 3, 2008
What can i say about Hatchet? Lets just make this quick and simple. If your bored, and sick of sucky PG-13 attempts of horror movies, see this. Theres some extreme gore scenes, lots of boobs. And its just fun and makes you jump.
To help one of their broken-hearted friends, Ben (Joel Moore), get over the breakup with his cheating girlfriend, a group of teens head to Mardi Gras. The plan is to the tried and true method of sex, drugs and rock and roll as a way to get his mind off of his ex. To their dismay, Ben just isn't into it. Instead of partaking in all the things that make Mardi Gras worth going to, he talks one of his friends, Marcus (Deon Richmond) into going with him on a New Orleans Haunted Swamp Boat Tour. This particular late-night boat ride through the swamps is populated by an amateur porn director (Joel Murray) and his two female "stars", Jenna (Joleigh Fioreavanti) and Misty (Buffy's own Mercedes McNab), Marybeth, a standoff-ish local girl (Tamara Feldman), an elderly couple from the Midwest, and their Asian tour guide (Parry Shen). As they proceed through the swamps they are treated to ghosts in the form of swamp gas and the story of local legend, Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder). Victor was a deformed boy killed by accident at the hands of some young pranksters. This led to Victor's father (also played by Kane Hodder) accidentally putting a hatchet in Victor's face. Victor's father eventually died from grief, but legend has it that Victor still roams the swamps at night, looking for his daddy and dispatching any unwelcome visitors that dare invade his swamp. When the tour boat becomes grounded, forcing the group to enter the swamp on foot, Hatchet delves into full-fledge '80s slasher mode as they try to get out of the swamp while coming face to face with the legend himself.
Even though the title sequence begins with Marilyn Manson aptly screaming "This is the new shit!", director Adam Green has created a horror film harkening back to the good old days of the Ebert coined "dead teenager movie". As with other slasher films of days gone by, Hatchet breaks no new ground as it gathers a group of people together and puts them in an environment that isolates them from the rest of the world pits them against a seemingly omnipresent entity that begins killing them one by one, in different ways, until the lone female survivor does battle with it. Regarding these slasher staples, Hatchet introduces absolutely nothing new to the genre. Stereotypical characters, pointless female nudity, dumb decision making, bloody deaths, a seemingly unstoppable villain, the lone, female heroine...all of it is here and showcased. This is a slasher film that takes all of the now clichéd defining points of the slasher and does them in a way that does not come off seemingly self aware or leaving the viewer feeling like the creators are constantly winking at you while you are watching. Hatchet firmly roots itself as a slasher film and then delivers exactly what the audience craves from one. While on one hand displaying some genuinely funny moments, it is still a brutal, bloody film. Creators seemed to be making a movie purely to kill some people and give some slasher fans exactly what they expect.
The reason why there has been a bit of hype over this film is not just because of the over-the-top gore, as most horror fans have proven time and time again that this alone does not a good movie make. Hatchet has other things going for it as well. The comedic portions of the film usually derived from the film's dialog, works more than it doesn't. The characters, who are portrayed capably by the young cast, are also a bit more fleshed out as well, with more screen time given to the background and personalities of the victims than you normally expect from a film in which the victims are usually treated as nothing more than killer fodder. The exchanges between the two porn stars are quite funny, as well as the dialog between Ben and Marcus. There are also a couple of laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout the film that are not expected, such as Ben's attempt to hit on Marybeth and later on, a cell phone scene that involves Dawson's Creek. But don't let the mentioning of humor bog you down or think that Hatchet is a "slasher-lite" type of film. Adam Green keeps the two completely separated. While violence and humor can be mixed, Adam keeps the two firmly separated. Other directors should also note the way the cameos are handled in this film. With horror veterans such as Robert Englund, Tony Todd Kane Hodder and even The Blair Witch Project's Joshua Leonard making an appearance, they are done in a way that is not distracting, and in the case of Tony Todd, even a bit inspired.
In regards to the the violence, that is another area in which Hatchet succeeds. The special effects in Hatchet are done exceptionally well and handled by FX veteran, John Carl Buechler. If you have not smiled at the cool factor of a death scene in a horror film in a while, you will be happy to know that there is more than one death in this film that should help remedy that situation. Even within the budget constraints, disembowelments, decapitations by shovel, a great head splitting scene and even a ridiculous act with a gas-powered belt sander, Hatchet still delivers the goods and most gorehounds should finish the film feeling quite satisfied. Monster fans should rejoice as well as Adam is not afraid of showing off the Victor Crowley character as he does quite often and up close. He is big and ugly and looks to be closely related to The Goonie’s Sloth, had Sloth lived on a steady diet of radiation poisoning and steroids. It should also be noted that in regards to all of the effects, there is NO CGI! Just pounds of latex and copious amounts of the liquid red stuff. Old school, splatter style.
Even though they are minor and a bit nit-picky, the film does suffer from a few problems, one being the character of Victor Crowley himself. Adam Greene comes so close in creating a new icon to stand next to Jason, Myers and the lot, but falls a bit short of the mark. That's not to say that there still isn't a chance with Victor Crowley, especially with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre-ish ending of the film, ripe for a sequel. Victor Crowley just needs to be fleshed out a tad more. Victor is a mix between Jason, Frankenstein's Monster and a good portion of mutated, Cajun hillbilly and without a doubt he is an imposing enemy. But if there is a sequel made, and maybe just a tad more depth added to the paper-thin protagonist and his motivations, there is no doubt that in the future you very well may hear "Victor Crowley" mentioned in the same breath as the rest of the established horror icons. The score decent, but not memorable, and that is one thing a film like this needs to establish a new icon...Crowley needs THEME music. This may sound cliché, but seeing as Hatchet revels in the slasher film dogma, this is one thing that was missing. Lastly, the entire cast does a fine job, but Tamara Feldman's performance as the heroine of the film was a bit lacking. This is compounded when considering her back-story. But none of these problems are major and do not hinder the film in any major way.
In this day and age of uninspired remakes and torture films, Hatchet is a breath of fresh air for the horror movie genre. Even though it may not be completely original, treads over well worn ground, and a tad over hyped, Hatchet does hit all the right marks unlike recent entries into the slasher genre like Venom and The Tripper, and has a very good chance of becoming a cult classic.
THE HORROR HYPE METER Excited to see this movie? Rate it here!
