I was reading an article the other day that said that
Hollywood was finally realizing that remakes and sequels were not the money
making movies they thought and that an end was in sight for both. Unfortunately
it takes a while for that information to filter down and the movies that were
already in the pipeline are moving forward and many are still being released.
Had that not been the case I would have been able to spend the 92 minutes it
took to watch this film watching something else that was better.
It’s not to say that this film was the worst movie ever made
but the entire time I was watching I kept wondering what the point was in
making this one. The only answer I could come up with was that it had name
value so will probably attract a few viewers that way and that perhaps there
were a few people who loved the movie enough to want to continue the story. Not
many mind you but maybe just enough to recoup the cost of the film and make a
few bucks.
Not having seen PART 2 I checked and this film picks up
after the first remake so you can rest easy and not worry about the second
“chapter”. Here Sarah Butler returns to play Jennifer Hills, the woman who was
gang raped and tortured in the first in the series. Still psychologically
strained she starts off in therapy when her therapist suggest she join victim’s
group therapy. She does so and makes a friend in Marla, a woman who was in an
abusive relationship but who also stands up for herself.
The two bond quickly, eventually taking on the tormentor of
a 16 year old member of their therapy group and threatening to come back if he
doesn’t stop. Marla nearly goes over the top but Jennifer stops her first.
Boosted by the experience Marla tells Jennifer she’s going to her ex-boyfriend’s
to get a few things back from him while he’s out. The result is his killing her
which in turn sets off Jennifer to become an avenging angel to any and all who
come to harm.
While the first film had a victim reacting to those who did
her wrong setting her on a trail of vengeance, this film takes the same
character and turns her into Charles Bronson via DEATH WISH. She becomes a
hunter who easily comes to enjoy what it is she’s doing rather than be bothered
by having to take on that persona. Jennifer has flashbacks of what happened to
her as well as fantasies of the most violent acts she can imagine, the
fantasies bringing a smile to her face. While the original film made her a hero
of sorts her enjoyment of what she does here makes her more psycho and as
unsympathetic as her tormentors.
The movie, of course, ends with enough openness to leave the
door there for a sequel. My hope is it doesn’t happen. The original remake
didn’t do that well and it surprises me that we’ve reached a part 3. While the
movie itself is well made, well acted and offers a decent story of sorts it
feels like the only reason it was made was to cash in on the long ago created
original film. While that one was difficult to watch at least they let it end
with one movie. Hopefully this set will end on number 3.
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