Urban Legends: Final Cut
The film begins with rather stupid teenagers on an airplane, two teens shedding some light on a certain urban legend involving a creature on the wing (i.e. Twilight Zone: The Movie). Instead of developing a potentially freakish beginning, the film takes a different approach when two teens sneak away to the bathroom to fool around. A threatening but amusing message is seen, a killer runs amok with knife, frightened girl, who can barely act, screams "May Day! May Day!" over the airplane's radio, and "Cut!"...it's a movie within a movie.
The film being made is actually a student assignment at Alpine University, a prestigious film school where all of the students seem to be at each other's throats just to receive the famed Hitchcock Award. Since the characters are in a horror film themselves, we are only shown the slasher works produced by the college-goers.
Of course, there's the protagonist, a blonde female student named Amy Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison), who seems to be on the lookout for something every time she goes outside...and there's good reason. One night, after accepting a ride from campus policewoman and Foxy Brown fanatic Reese Wilson (Loretta Devine, also in Urban Legend), Amy is given a suggestion from Reese to make a film about a killer whose murders at a college university are originated from urban legends. Not sure of the thought, Amy goes ahead and gets the idea approved, beginning her foray into what, unknowlingly to her and friends, has already happened before, but what is only now believed to be an urban legend.
Coming together with a group of other students, Amy begins filming on her urban legend horror film. As soon as shooting begins, the students watch some of their work, only it's a snuff film by the vicious killer who's already struck. Just like in the original, the friends, except Amy, think nothing of it and believe it to be a practical joke played by the actress in the film.
Although, when one well-known student commits suicide, a dark shadow filled with secrets is cast over the group of filmmakers, resulting in jealousy, murder, and mayhem. Amy starts to wonder what is really going on and becomes entangled in the killer's path of unlucky victims. Who's behind the guise of a fencing mask, and what shocking secrets lie behind?
Upon the film's theatrical release, I was highly anticipated of the film, definitely finding the first one quite entertatining and thrilling. Luckily, I didn't make a trip to the local movie theater to see this second installment. Not that it was horrible, but Urban Legends: Final Cut lacks the feel of the original and contains too much of what seems to be choppy editing. The kills made by the hands of the un-intimidating antagonist, who's clad in a fencing mask (i.e. Graudation Day) and black trenchcoat, are sometimes too short and unbelievable, but the beginning death scene stands out as semi-shocking and pretty effective.
Of course you'll be yelling to the screen at stupid characters, especially the final girl, shouting such things as don't go in there, don't do that, run, etc., just as with many other films in the genre. Also, what is up with characters turning around to look when fleeing the killer, who's at their very heels?!
The assembled characters are very uninteresting and basically carbon copies of characters from the first. Even the film's heroine can get annoying at some times. Although, two horror/sci-fi geek characters provide a few laughs to the viewer. Joey Lawrence (best known for the TV series, Blossom) makes one of his first adult appearances in which you might not be able to recognize him.
This time being directed by John Ottman, the film also has those inevitable false scares that the majority of horror films contain. The whole film is way too predictable, and I guessed the killer right off hand. The killer's motive is one that is similar to the original's slightly-convoluted twist, which is mostly just thrown at you near the end, but don't be that easily fooled. By the way, be alert for an enjoyably amusing twist ending.
Despite the many clichés, this film should also be noted by horror buffs and fans of the original, but not exactly that great of a film for me. Of course, there will be future viewings, but it doesn't exactly hold up to the original.
