Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine’s night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Wearing a miner’s mask and armed with a pickaxe, an unstoppable killer is on the loose. Instead of a homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders.
Seeing my first 2009 horror film, let alone film, this year, I can tell horror movies are looking promising this year. I’ll admit it. The film didn’t surpass my expectations, but that isn’t fair, since I set the bar up unusually high for these types of films. Yes, I would have never seen this film in theaters if it weren’t in 3D. If you’re thinking to watch it in 2D, DON’T! Spend the extra $2.50 (or more) because the extra fee is worthwhile. If you don’t have a theater with 3D screenings near you, all I can say is that the film will not be as good as if it were in 3D and I stand by this statement.
With that warning out of the way, I’ll say this is one of the most fun times I’ve ever had of watching a horror film in theaters. The 3D factor is just an icing on top of a red velvet cake. As a slasher fan myself, I found the film entertaining. I had myself laughing from death scenes that are sometimes ridiculously over-the-top, the gore, the gratuitous nudity, and the horror clichés. This must mean the film is poking fun of itself as a slasher genre or it must mean we’re back in the 1980’s. I’ll go with the latter. But really, does that really matter?
The plot was fun, but in films like these, it doesn’t really matter either. I had a grand time guessing who’s the killer and who’s not, just to have myself getting slapped in the face back. It will literally keep you guessing until the end and even if the conclusion has been done several million times before, one will wonder why one would fall for it again. The 3D gimmicks were great and sometimes shocking. You see human body parts flying in your face. You flinch when a pickaxe come flying in your way. It’s just that great.
I had a mix reaction with the performances. Jensen Ackles was decent, although I had myself laughing from his odd performance. Fortunately, Kerr Smith and Jaime King did a better job. Betsy Rue, the actress who would show her body in full frontal nudity for five minutes in a part of the movie does her part so well that you forget about the nudity (barely). The score is also better than in many other horror films because, really, horror films these days usually have annoying, loud rock songs playing in the background for no apparent reason.
In the end, you should really watch, or consider watching, this film in 3D if you’re interested. The kills are great, there’s some suspense, and the 3D aspect is really mixed well with the movie that you will have a fun time watching it. If you’re expecting something original, don’t bother watching it. However, if you like slashers that are similar to those in the past, do yourself a favor and watch it.
My Score! - 70%
Plot and Storyline - 69%
Structure - 68%
Engagement - 67%
Plausibility - 72%
Acting and Performances - 72%
70%
Pretty darn good remake of the original 1981 movie. I really enjoyed it.
