PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I remember hearing about Hatchet a few months before it came out and I thought that it sounded awesome. I couldn’t wait to see it because it sounded like it had some good old school 80s slasher flick vibes to it, so I went and bought a copy of it on DVD the day that it came out and was extremely excited to check it out.
So, after all was said and done did it live up to my expectations, or did I walk away feeling disappointed and underwhelmed?
Keep reading to find out…
Synopsis
A group of people on a tour of a swamp that is supposed to be haunted find themselves stranded and stalked by the hulking-and seemingly unstoppable-Victor Crowley who enjoys killing his victims in the most painful ways possible.
I’m just going to come out and say it. Hatchet is nothing short of awesome and I love it dearly. It has a ton of some great death scenes full of blood and gore, likable characters, and one of the greatest horror movie villains in recent years that is destined to become a horror icon. It’s just an incredibly fun movie in general and I have a blast every single time I watch it. I have seen it countless times over the years and it never gets old and is just an incredible movie in every sense of the word.
Written and directed by the always amazing and super talented Adam Green (Frozen, Spiral) and starring Kane Hodder (Jason X, Wishmaster), Hatchet is just a fun-filled gorefest that will satisfy anyone that loves 80s slasher flicks as it is obvious that Green just gets it and put his heart and soul into this film. I had the honor of interviewing Green over the phone a few years ago and he is just a super nice guy that is loads of fun to talk to as he knows his stuff when it comes to horror films. I know that Hatchet does have a fan following, but I am honestly surprised it isn’t bigger than it is because in my opinion it is one of the best horror movies to hit the scene in the last thirty years or so and one of those movies that will be considered a classic years from now.
There is so much to love about this movie. The premise is great and just has a classic 80s slasher flick feel to it. We have a group of strangers stranded in the swamp and trying to make it out alive as they are picked off one-by-one in a number of insanely painful ways by the grotesque Crowley, who enjoys literally tearing his victims to pieces. Crowley is such an intimidating guy and is one of those people that you don’t want to run across in a dark alley (or a dark swamp). He is legit scary and has an awesome look and Hodder does an excellent job bringing him to life.
One of the best things about the movie is the death scenes. Crowley doesn’t play around and is brutal as Hell when it comes to taking out his victims. We get a variety of death scenes including a jaw getting ripped off, arms being torn off, some brutal (and I do mean brutal) deaths via hatchet, and my personal favorite that involves a sander to the face. In addition to that we also have an impalement and someone who is torn limb from limb. If you are a gorehound into incredible death scenes then you have come to the right place and won’t be disappointed. The deaths that take place in this movie are creative and just all around awesome and are one of the highlights of the movie for sure. This movie is loaded with blood and gore, and I loved every minute of it.
The cast is also fabulous, and I love every character that appears in the film. Joel David Moore (Shark Night, Grandma’s Boy) is excellent as the main character Ben and does a wonderful job bringing him to life. Ben is just a likable guy that you can relate to, and you really want to see him make it through the movie alive. Tamara Feldman (Alyce Kills, Perfect Stranger) is also equally impressive as Marybeth, and I wish that she had stuck around to reprise the role in the following sequels.
My favorite character in the movie has to be Shawn, played by Perry Shen (The Hazing, The New Guy) as he is absolutely hilarious and I love the fact that he shows up in all the sequels as different characters. This movie is loaded with an extremely talented cast, and they all do a wonderful job in their respective roles. Of course it helps that horror legends Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, and Robert Englund all make appearances as well.
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Hatchet and its sequels (there isn’t a bad one in the series if you ask me). If you are looking for a blood-soaked good time that features violent, over the top death scenes and humor that is actually funny then you have come to the right place. I think that this movie is loads of fun and I would love to see Green do some new movies to add to the series as it has been too long since the last one. You are missing out if you haven’t seen this movie, so I suggest checking it out as soon as possible because you are in for one Hell of a good time. Highly recommended.
