WOLF CREEK 2

2014 / Director. Greg McLean.

WOLF CREEK was the genre film Australia so desperately needed. It was uniquely Aussie and still managed to break international boundaries. It was a horror film that the world could embrace and with such a huge reception it was inevitable that a sequel would come. After a long and arduous pre-production it's finally here... and it's a belter. This is a much better film than the first BUT it couldn't possibly play successfully without the reputation of the original. Audiences were shocked by the first movie and expectations for this new instalment have been understandably high. I was nervous that this would be more of the same... a rehash of past exploits with a bigger budget. Well, I am thrilled to say that WOLF CREEK 2 delivers something completely unexpected. It is a satire of itself in some ways. We catch up with serial killer Mick Taylor in the middle of the outback, a long way from home. He's been "hunting" and on his way home he happens upon an assortment of characters... cops, tourists, farmers. It's literally a smorgasbord and he relishes every juicy bite. Where the first film relied on suspense and menace, this sequel plays on the comedy and carnage. Mick Taylor is already larger than life in our minds and director Greg McLean and writer Aaron Sterns play on that notion. They have presented us with Mick Taylor the anti-hero. The colourful, hilarious and psychopathic nut-ball. John Garret slips back into the role with ease and he's got so much good material to sink his teeth into. The sequence of events throughout the film are cleverly written and while a lot of it is conventional horror, the movie is packed with surprises to keep the audience on it's toes. Mick is presented as a reflection of our culture (as I perceived it). His world view is a heightened and animated manifestation of some of our own uglier traits. At one point in the film he is challenged by a foreigner who is better educated in Australian history than he is... and his reaction is strangely familiar. Do we laugh because Mick is a funny bugger or do we laugh because we know his type? Whatever the case he is a scary man and a unique character that will hopefully enjoy longevity. The theatrical version is considerably trimmed and yet it is still a balls-to-the-wall shocker. If THIS is the censored version then I am salivating at the idea of the uncut one. Bring it on. WOLF CREEK 2 is the most fun I've had at the cinema in ages and you are guaranteed a good time. If you don't want to see it for the relentless butchery then see it for the kangaroos... and the flying truck!! My only gripe is the wasted opportunity with the opening song... the first movie kicked ass with Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock... surely part 2 was begging for Daddy Cool's Come Back Again!?? LOL. Wicked stuff. 

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