omega23

Ok look: nothing is going to touch the original. We all know that. But of all the attempts to capitalize on the original, this one does the best job. It's an actual sequel with direct character continuation of Sarah from the original film as she navigates adulthood after Eric. It broadens the mythos by addressing familial love instead of romantic love. It's steeped heavily in the music scene and the local culture. It follows a holiday. And it's got a pretty fun cast that'll have you going "hey wait, I know that one!" over and over. Plus, Vincent Perez is a damn fine actor. It's the only worthy follow-up as far as I'm concerned.

(This is a reference to both Human Centipede I and II.) Whether or not you enjoy these movies, Tom Six is a directorial genius. In just two movies, Six has managed to encompass two grand extremes of the horror genre.

In The Human Centipede (First Sequence), Six gave us a disturbing yet comedic film, very cleanly shot with a campy, madman of a villain. The film progressed in a very Hollywood style, with an easy-to-follow story arc, plot turns along the way, and just enough implied to disturb the audience.

Now, with The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence), Six throws the audience to the far end of the spectrum. HC2 is a dark, twisted and entirely disturbing film of obsession and psychosis. The filming style is extraordinarily gritty and feels more like the video-diary of a deranged psychopath. Every gory and nasty detail is presented in full to the audience, bringing all the implied horrors of the first film to the forefront. There is no clear-cut story arc here, only a driving motivation that the Full Sequence will be realized.

Those seeking the laughs of HC1 will instead be treated to gasps, gags and fright. Six has managed to shock even those who saw HC1 by created an expectation in the first film and completely shattering it. Bravo.

Smokin' Aces was most certainly a bit of a magic show within itself, in that while you watched the evident plot go one way, you didn't notice the actual plot until BAM! it came out of nowhere. It wasn't the most coherent of plots sometimes, but for the most part it all wraps up in the end.

As far as greatness goes, this won't be up there winning awards. Rather, it might be remembered fondly as "that cool movie I saw a while ago." Good drama, good action. Ryan Reynolds breaks out in a truly serious and compelling role.

Definitely a movie worth viewing.