The Hills Have Eyes 2 Movie Review – Don't Freak Out

Runtime: 89 minutes

Release Date: March 23, 2007

Rating: R

Director: Martin Weisz

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. Throw a guy in the hole in a portie pottie, and I'm a happy camper.

"The Hills Have Eyes 2" completely disregards the fact that several people survived the end of the first one and probably went to the authorities to tell them what happened. It instead picks up with a woman giving birth to a mutant baby before getting killed by an adult mutant. We then see a group of scientists working in the empty desert who wind up being killed by the mutants too.

The film then jumps again to a group of National Guard soldiers, who must go into the desert to look for the scientists. Among them are Amber (Jessica Stroup, "Prom Night"), Missy (Daniella Alonso, "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End"), and Crank (Jacob Vargas, "Devil"). The soldiers split into two groups: one group stays behind to try and use the communication devices, while the other group heads into the desert to look for the scientists.

The group that stays behind is the group that finds the man left behind in the toilet. Turns out that the mutants cut him hundreds of time and dumped him in the poo, knowing the bacteria would kill him. The other group head up the cliffs, have a bunch of problems, someone gets hurt, and they encounter the mutants. Once the groups meet up, they need to figure out how to get away without dying.

Modern horror films get a lock of flack from fans, but damn it if I don't love "The Hills Have Eyes 2." I know I mentioned in the beginning that it doesn't reference the past film, but it does to a point. The writers, which include Wes motherfucking Craven, drop some hints that indicate the survivors went for help and that the government sent the scientists out there to make a satellite device that could track their movements.

This film does a good job of combining humor and horror. The first time I saw this in the theater, I was absolutely disgusted by the man in the toilet. There is something so gruesome about that moment, and you actually feel something for the poor guy. I can't imagine a worse way to die.

"The Hills Have Eyes 2" is a lot of fun, and while it isn't as good as the first one, it's pretty damn good for a sequel.