Ginger Snaps 2 - Unleashed

Rating:
Summary: Easily One Of The Greatest Werewolf Movies Ever
Review: The first "Ginger Snaps" was good, but nowhere near as outstanding as this second entry in what looks to be a long-running yet non-repetitive series. With some time having passed since Part 1, "Unleashed" finds Brigitte (Emily Perkins) alone in the big city, still relying on monkshood (aka wolfsbane) extract to hold off the eventual werewolf transformation, and stalked out by a male monster wolf that regards her as a potential mate. After being found passed out in the snow and mistaken for a drug addict, she's locked up in a rehabilitation center, cut off from her wolfsbane, and still being sought by the beast. Under threat from the monster on the outside and under attack from the monster within herself, and surrounded by manipulative and often sometimes aggressive individuals in the institution, Brigitte finds an ally in an imaginative young girl nicknamed Ghost (Tatiana Maslany) while being increasingly consumed by the dawning bloodlust inside. With greatly improved technical aspects and universally irreproachable performances (Perkins's performance alone is the stuff of which legends are made) and a series of unpredictable twists that step well outside of expectations, "Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed" is a serious contender for the title of best movie of 2004.

Rating:
Summary: Fun!
Review: "Ginger Snaps" was that rare thing, a very low-budget sleeper hit that garnered acclaim from all who saw it. Except me, I thought it was full of crappy angst, lousy acting and truly staid dialogue, but that's just me.

"Ginger Snaps 2 - Unleashed" completely reworks the original movie and, thanks to some truly tense set-pieces and a fantastic bit of character acting by a talented young actress named Tatiana Maslany, wipes the floor with its oftentimes amateurish predecessor in terms of professionalism, competency, and more importantly, scares.

Brigitte is now committed to an asylum, her erstwhile doctors believing her to be addicted to the poisonous Monkshood serum. She is befriended by a younger girl called Ghost (Maslany), ostensibly there to care for her ill grandmother, who accepts Brigitte's story, helping her to escape the asylum. Cue werewolf, much gore and lots and lots of shock moments....

The first and most noticable thing about "Ginger Snaps 2 - Unleashed" is the overall sense of Improvement, and this runs across the board. Performances are more professional and polished - as I've mentioned, Maslany is excellent as the oddball child, but Emily Perkins (Brigitte) has matured into a far better actress in this movie, delivering her dialogue with more conviction and playing the part of Dark Secret Harbourer with a greater degree of control. She's no longer whiney and angsty, but genuinely fearful of what she may have become. Direction is similarly improved, camerawork is now more structured and there's less of a sense of "Hold the damn camera still, I can't see what's happening!!" than in the first movie. The storyline is less predictable (the ending is particularly fantastic!) and the whole thing moves with a polish and a style wholly superior to the first.

All's not well, however - the cheapo special 'effects' are still there in abundance, with mawkish pseudo-werewolf shots and desperately unbelievable makeup effects spoiling an otherwise faultless atmosphere. But that's no big deal when you consider the Director (Sullivan) has kept the creature quotient in this movie right down, instead relying on some beautifully-executed chase and evasion sequences to create the horror.

All in all, a huge success, and a far better movie, "Ginger Snaps 2 - Unleashed" is a worthwhile recommendation to all horror fans. A shame that you'd really have to watch the first to appreciate this one fully, but there it is.

Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Ginger Snaps straight to DVD for US
Review: "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed" was, ...well "unleashed" on Canadian Audiences January 30th and is due to hit the US on video in April, 2004. When we left poor Brigitte (Emily Perkins) she had just taken her sister's life-recall the incredible basement/bedroom battle scene. As she had been emotionally dependent on Ginger (wolf or no wolf) the loss of her big sis leaves her exceptionally lonely and more maladjusted then ever. Oh yeah, but now she too is a "carrier" and is dependent on her concoction of poisonous monkshood (sp?) to prevent further transformation into wolf form. Her questionable "drug use" buys her a one-way ticket to sucksville-- a drug treatment facility. As with the movie's predecessor, Brigitte's unique personality with its special blend of non-conformity and social dependence, leads to interesting dynamics with the other characters: namely Ghost (Tatiana Maslany), a fellow quirky inpatient and Tyler (Eric Johnson-Teen Tristan from Legends of the Fall) the hormonal and underhanded orderly. And what kind of sequel would this be without our favorite lupa, Ginger...., not much of one! Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps and Freddy vs. Jason) makes a return appearance via hallucinations encouraging Brigitte to succumb to her animal instincts. Jake Mackinnon plays the werewolf who would be more than happy to aid in Brigitte's animal growth...
Although this movie is not as good as the first, it can/does/will stand on it's own. The character development, as was the case in original Ginger, was magnificent. The Canadian backdrop beautiful-as usual--and the FX are improved from the prior film. The only downside...no MIMI (I divorced Tom Cruise before Kidman)ROGERS. She was a hoot in the original movie. Eh, at least we have Ginger Snaps 3: Ginger Snaps Back (prequel) coming in 2004. Happy hunting!

Rating:
Summary: outstanding!!! what a great film
Review: back when i seen the first ginger snaps in 2001 i thought it was just the greatest most awesome werewolf movie with a teen twist. no one i knew wouldn't of even seen the film if it wasn't for me because it was and probably still is a little underground. ginger snaps 2 matches its big brother in more ways then one and almost defeats it. the story is continued through briggette who was forced too destroy her older sister in the original but still hears and sees her in her mind in ginger snaps 2. it seems as if the gap between the first and secound are a few years apart seeing briggette begins the movie in her own place and not with any of her parents. emily perkins looks alot older and more attractive then the first and still acts too kill as she gives a stellar performance with and ending so twisted and unexpected its depressing, even more so then the first. it was a kick in the gut to see the movie end that way. i can't wait for the prequel. if you loved the first ginger snaps, behold this masterpiece. i have much respect for those girls, i paid 23 dollars for the dvd.

Rating:
Summary: Hilariously Scary
Review: BRIGITTE isnt spelt with a d!!!!!phew,well got that out of my system.
I wrote the first review for this on amazon.co.uk, so i thought id write one here too.After a loooong wait and many updates to my Ginger Snaps fansite (www.baileydowns.com) i saw this movie and it really blew me away,i was expecting(and hoping) for the same feel as the first movie,we do not get this though,Ginger Snaps has evolved into something way bigger and better, the feel of the movie is much darker.The new characters,however small some parts may be all add to the tension and humour of the film,i just have to mention GHOST! even if you hated the first movie and the characters Ghost alone is worth watching this movie,orrrrr she so cute! she gives so many laughs,shes smart and stupid at the same time,and her serious yet sarcasticly sounding comments like "when you close your eyes is it hell you see?" are dvd pausing, cant stop laughing moments.The ending is in the same form as the first,the final struggle for your fate,i was not expecting an ending similar to the first,and it wasnt, but it was not what i was expecting either,anyone who tells you they predicted the ending before the last 15 minutes are TOTAL LIARS!despite the ending being hinted at through the entire film (you notice the second time you watch it) it is impossible to predict, its a real tear festering kick in the face, but thats what i loved about the first.DVD includes lots of behind the scenes footage,and stuff on special effects,visual effects, it includes pages from brigittes diary,some of ghosts artwork,the trailer for Ginger Snaps Back,a commentary,ginger snaps 2 tv spots and trailer,cast audition tapes,storyboards and deleted scenes!(nearly all of 'Alice's' scenes were cut), and on the audition tapes you see many scenes that didnt even get filmed,one where brigitte wakes up in rehab and Ghost tells her shes at a body farm and they are going to harvest her limbs,great stuff.BUY THIS MOVIE! dont even think about it, click buy now!

Rating:
Summary: a dark,dark sequel
Review: Ginger Snaps 2 is a creepy gem.The original was a bit dark, but this movie takes the cake in the mood department.This film goes from one cool setup to another,it has great sets and an even better performance by emily perkins than in the original.you watch it thinking you have a pretty clear idea how it will end,but ill bet good money you will be wrong.

Rating:
Summary: Fun sequel to a fun movie.
Review: Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (Brett Sullivan, 2004)

Brett Sullivan returns with his tale of two sisters, one a werewolf, the other struggling not to become one. (Folks who've seen the first one will likely wonder how this can be. Folks who haven't... why haven't you seen it yet? Rent it now. And stop reading this review, as it contains THE big spoiler for the first film.)

Brigitte (Emily Perkins [It, Insomnia]) has fled her hometown following the death of her sister Ginger, and is living in a motel with only her monkshood and the local library for company. She, however, is both being tracked by another werewolf and haunted by Ginger's ghost (Katharine Isabelle [Freddy vs. Jason, Insomnia]). When both pop up in rapid succession, the ensuing events lead to Brigitte ending up in rehab. Girl Interrupted, folks, this is not.

Where the movie could have worked better is in the inhabitants of the rehab center. With the exception of Ghost (Tatiana Maslany, who actually did not appear in Insomnia) and a couple of staff members, everyone else in the rehab center gets relegated to the role of extra. This area of the film could easily have been bulked out (and with the movie running ninety-four minutes, there was certainly enough time for it). Still, for what it is, it's otherwise quite nicely done. It throws things at you you're not expecting on a fairly regular basis, the incidental music (performed by Canadian auteur Kurt Swinghammer) is fantastic, and like its predecessor, it's a lot of fun. A worthy sequel. *** ½

Rating:
Summary: Ginger Snaps Is The Best Series Going...
Review: Ginger Snaps is by far the best modern horror going today. I didn't think the second was going to be better than the first but I was DEAD wrong. The story focuses around Bridgette this time and her struggle to keep herself from becoming the monster her sister was. In an effort to take the medicine she needs to keep from morphing, she's sent to drug rehab. Will she get out in time before all hell breaks loose?
This is a spectacular film and I can't wait for the third coming in September. Buy It Today. If You Don't Have The First One, Buy It Too!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, sophisticated sequel
Review: Given that the original `Ginger Snaps' is my favourite werewolf film, I approached this sequel with both anticipation and trepidation. Could this carry the creative seed of the original, or would it just be a pale, blood-drained imitation?

The story opens with Brigitte, alone, frightened, on the run, testing her powers of recuperation by slashing her arms to see how quickly she recovers. She is infected by the lycanthrope, by her sister Ginger's contaminated blood. When we last saw her, she had just killed Ginger. Yet here she is, apparently pursued by a werewolf. Is Ginger alive, or does she just live on as a ghostly, conscience-jarring memory?

Brigitte is certainly ill. She collapses in the street and wakes up in a drug rehabilitation clinic. The counsellors and nursing staff can see the cutting marks on her arms and know she has been injecting herself. What they can't understand is what sort of buzz she gets from injecting a poison like wolfsbane. Brigitte is hardly going to co-operate, but finds an ally in the angelic little `Ghost', whose grandmother is recovering from major burns and lies dressed in bandages like some scared mummy. The scene is set, for here we have Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma', and a wolf at their door. Is Brigitte really pursued by a werewolf? Is it Ginger? Is it all in the imagination? Or perhaps I'm just trying to mislead you so I don't spoil the surprises.

Emily Perkins gives a subdued performance here which stands in marked contrast to the loud, screaming, melodrama of many modern horror movies. She has a haunted look throughout, and conveys a sense of loneliness, desperation, and hopelessness with convincing accuracy. The star of the show, however, is Tatiana Maslany as `Ghost'. She provides the counterpoint emotion, a wonderfully cynical, sinister innocence in the face of the evil and abuses taking place around her. She is the only one to comprehend what Brigitte is going through: unbelievable though it might be, she is rational, recognises what is occurring, and proves a source of optimism and resilience.

An excellent film, offering another spin on teenage angst and loneliness, but perhaps not quite living up to the immediate originality of the first `Ginger Snaps'. The film does, however, succeed in creating a new range of characters and relationships. The horror here is sophisticated, character-led, and graced by a plot which twists and turns. The fear is cerebral, not visceral, and relies on good writing, good acting, and good direction - not sensation. The climax ... well, I'll give nothing away by saying that Brigitte is left facing an even greater horror than she imagined was possible! Excellent film, well worth watching more than once, or twice.

Rating:
Summary: Seedy, atmospheric sequal
Review: GS 2 is by all means worth a rental. It would help if you saw the first GS. This sequal has great atmosphere, intelligent story and a great wolf provided by KNB effects. The whole film has that seedy dark gothic look. Kind of like last years Gothica. The gore is good, not much more than GS 1. The characters are well developed. The screenplay throws in a couple of twists to catch viewers off guard. The dialogue is dark with humourous undertones. I liked the movie. I would have given the film 4 or 5 stars if there was more gore and nudity thrown in.