Urban Legends - Final Cut

Rating:
Summary: "Splice-&-Dice"
Review: *
Based on the reviews I read before deciding to purchase this DVD, I expected "Urban Legends: Final Cut" to be a rip-off of the "Scream" trilogy ... And, to my great pleasure, It wasn't.

Also, based on the reviews I read before deciding to purchase this DVD, I expected "Urban Legends: Final Cut" (a.k.a. "Urban Legend 2") to be an original and entirely independent project (not a rehash/continuation of the "first" movie of the same name) ... And, to my great pleasure, It was.

It is not really possible to compare the two films and say emphatically that one was superior to the other, since, other than the Title, the [quote] return [unquote] of Loretta Devine's security officer character, and the concept of brutal murders being based on popular urban legends, the two films really have no connection with each other.

This is what I was hoping for, because I couldn't be able to stand the idea of a continuation of a story that made little to no sense to me. Not to say that "UL-1" was not an enjoyable movie storywise, but I ended up hating it because they overplayed the "winter coat" angle of story to such a ridiculous extent that it fell by the wayside as being way too forcably contrived and disingenuous.

Fortunately, "UL-2" played it more straight and made its stalker dozens of times more believable, though not quite as menacing. And apart from the grizzly "kidney operation" sequence near the beginning of the film, I thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing break that this particular "slasher film" had to offer by playing it more for chills and suspense rather than for the typical gratuitous blood, guts and gore.

The "movie within a movie" concept was equally effective, keeping the viewer guessing constantly-- even right down to the very last moments of the movie --about what was taking place and how it all fit together.

Admittedly, this film can't come even close to touching any of the "Scream" movies, but it is still a compelling and coherent suspense-thriller with a number of (occasionally humorous) twists and turns which make for an enjoyable-- though not extraordinarily scary --edge-of-the-seat ride that's well worth the price of purchase.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning sequel!
Review: Sequels that surpass their predecessors are a rarity in the movie business. In the words of Randy in Scream 2, "by definition alone they are inferior movies." But does the same apply for non-sequel sequels? Apparently not, for Urban Legends: Final Cut is a truly remarkable film, let alone sequel.

UL2 has a very sophisticated edge which gives the movie a far more adult feel, and John Ottman's direction is on par with the veterans of the genre as he demonstrates a great knowledge of both how to create good scares/jumps, and also how to make the images on screen look good without being too crowded. In truth, the entire movie reeks of visual style, and the settings are beautifully shot. For a low-budget film, it definitely doesn't look it.

All of the cast members are a joy, including Jennifer Morrison - who brings the heroine Amy to life on the screen - and the viewer can't help but like her from the start. There is something very fresh and original (in truth, this can be said about the entire movie) in her performance, and when paired up with Matt Davis the film becomes something very special. Additional cast like Jessica Chauffiel (whose bubbly energy fills all her scenes with a gritty humour), Joseph Lawrence (who is under-used, but makes a good red herring) and Anthony Anderson & Michael Bacall (who play Dirk and Stan respectively, and are hilarious with their geeky one-liners) are all nice departures from the cliched bit-parts of most Horrors. Another nice addition is Eva Mendes, as Amy's best friend, who strays from the typical "heroine's timid field-mouse best friend" cliche as a loud-mouthed lesbian. It's a shame that she didn't have more screen time (although, granted, for a movie of this genre she gets her fair share), as the scenes that she is a part of are all filled with some nice banter between characters.

Director Ottman's subtle score is another bonus, as the combination of his already-spread composer wings and unique visual penache create something that is genuinely creepy the entire way through. The combination of quite, music-less moments and loud crescendos give the film an off-beat ambience.

The killer's costume itself (a fencing mask doubled with a long trench coat) is very different to most outfits, and added little touches - like the killer's breathe steaming through the mask, and electric sparks rebounding off the metal - give our weapon-weilding maniac a very human-yet-sterile feel, which immediately invokes fear.

Despite many viewer's criticisms that no urban legend deaths (save the first) were involved in the film, this is not true - how could this movie be called Urban Legends unless it had that feature? All deaths cleverly used legends that most of us have heard of (although perhaps not many have heard the 'Tunnel of Terror' story...), and there is a gritty realism to them. Most use only sound alone rather than graphic detail in order for the audience to use their imagination (what's in the mind is always far scarier than what we see on-screen), and for once the motive behind the deaths isn't hugely ambiguous!

There are some brilliant scenes to be found in UL2. The first and second death are both some of the scariest moments ever put onto film - again, Kudos to Ottman for his clever direction and editing! - and a scene in which the killer plays the keys on a piano Amy is hiding under was extremely unsettling, and for some reason really gets under your skin (maybe it's the out-of-control emotion that the chords stir inside us). As well as these more action-based scenes, there are some very nice character scenes, including the moment that Amy discovers Trevor in the bell tower, and the first time Amy meets Reese. The climax is excellently-worked, and provides a memorable ending to the film.

I recently purchased the DVD, and after watching the deleted scenes footage, it was a shame that some of the more emotional scenes were not kept in the final print. A scene which demonstrates first Amy's writer's block (before encountering Reese), and then her guilt at straying from documentaries gives an often-ignored insight into her character, and could have done a lot more to let the audience see what makes her tick. I can understand that for the younger audience who are only interested in seeing blood and guts, the deletion of these scenes would have been no problem, but for the more mature audience we would definitely have liked to have seen these scenes involved. A director's cut someday please, John?

Other than this quibble (which probably only affects the DVD-viewing audience of this movie) Urban Legends: Final Cut is an atmospheric, character-fuelled movie that cleverly mixes Hitchcock-ian-style mystery with scary scenes that will have your skin crawling. Congratulations to John Ottman for a masterful movie debut, and let's hope we see more from you in the future!

Rating:
Summary: Very Unnecessary Sequel
Review: Urban Legends: Final Cut was a waste of effort. UL2 cuts away from the original film, which warrants more effort than this installment, with Loretta Devine as the only returning cast member.

This film focuses around a different group of college students at a different university. All of them are vying for the prestigious Hitchcock award, but one of them will stop at NOTHING to get it. Soon, people start dropping off like flies. I didn't even feel much emotion or sympathy towards any of the victims. It lacked strong character development and most of the acting was tedious at best. However, some credit is due. The kidney scene is by far the best scene in the movie, and if more of the film was as suspenseful and scary as this, then the film would have been a LOT better. I really do hope that this is the FINAL cut.

Rating:
Summary: Not As Fun As Original
Review: Urban Legends 2 is not a good movie. It makes the first film, which was fun and entertaining, look like Oscar material. This film, about a bunch of film students at a cold looking college campus working on student films who are stalked by a killer in a fencing outfit, is nowhere near as fun as the original. Jennifer Morrison as the heroine is cute and everything, but she's kinda boring. Former teen heartthrob, Joey Lawrence, is okay as a pompous rich kid. Loretta Devine, returning from the original, is, like in the first, the real standout. The killer's outfit is pushing it a little bit. I think filmmakers are running out of ideas for the killers. The ending isn't as well done as the original either. What are you going to do?. Urban Legends 2 is decent as a mindless horror sequel, but if you've seen the original, then there is no reason to see this. It's not as good or memorable or intelligent as any of the Scream sequels. A typical horror sequel. Nothing special.

Rating:
Summary: Of course it's not art but for its genre, it's not bad
Review: The first urban legend to appear in Urban Legends: The Final Cut is probably the most famous of them all - the story of the person drugged in a bar and waking up in a bathtub of ice without any kidneys. This is also the most gruesome part of the story - like the original Scream, the most graphic death is the first. The film then falls into a fairly standard story - people wander into dark hallways and die, a walking killer moves the same speed as a frantically running victim, and everyone except the central character is a suspect (until they die, of course). Having said that, the movie is fun in its way, and there are some nice nudges to other movies and a tongue in cheek sense of the absurd which, of course, all horror movies are.
The DVD includes a director's commentary from rookie director John Ottman (who is best known as the editor/composer of Usual Suspects and Apt Pupil, among others). The commentary is fun - again, Ottman pokes fun at the genre and his budget, while at the same time praising the actors and pointing out his favourite shots and scenes. The acting is quite reasonable (luckily for us, Joey Lawrence does not sing), and the movie does look quite good (although I may be partisan, since it was filmed on my home campus of Trent University). The DVD also includes some cut scenes, with a commentary included as to how they fit in the movie and why they were cut. This is always my favourite extra whenever it's included on a DVD.
I gave this movie 3 stars, which is the same number as I gave to American Beauty. Of course, Urban Legends is not nearly as good a movie, but for its genre, it's very adequate. Check it out sometime if you want a few cheap thrills of the horror variety.

Rating:
Summary: Great Team, great scares, great movie!
Review: URBAN LEGEND and URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT are both really cool scary movies. I actually prefer the 2nd, because I just loved everything about it. The death scenes are very scary and won't let you be disappointed! I wish that URBAN LEGEND 3 becomes reality soon!

Rating:
Summary: NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL
Review: I GAVE IT 3 STARS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL. MOST SEQUELS ARENT. ENOUGH SAID

Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as the original
Review: This is the sequel of Urban Legend, a film that I truly believe is one of the modern day horror classics of this era. In my honest opinion, it'a almost as good as its predecessor.

This film has so many different bright spots. the first of which is the cast. This movie is proof positive that you can make an enjoyable horror film with a young cast WITHOUT featuring eye candy like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The whole cast was great. Heck, even Joey Lawrence (who I detested on BLOSSOM) was enjoyable in this film.

Speaking of the cast, Loretta Devine is the only cast member from the original film who is in this film... and man alive, is she a hoot! She provides the film with a lot of great comical moments... all without taking away from the horror theme.

I recommend this film to those of you who liked the original... as well as lovers of the horror genre. You won't be sorry. Unlike recent horror sequels (like Screams 2 and 3), this sequel does not disappoint.

Rating:
Summary: Not horrible but not the best ever
Review: Ok,the sequal to Urban Legend wasn't that bad,but it was most definatly not better than the first one.The sequal had it's moments of being good.There were only a few,but that's better than none at all.My main complaint is,they didn't use ANY yrban legend based killings.They talked about them a whole lot,but there was no imaginative type killings like there were in the first one.The movie is called URBAN LEGEND:FINAL CUT,so why didn't the writer use them?Second,the ending was just down right stupid.If you are going to have an ending that leaves your film open for a sequal,at least make it good.Third,where were the other survivors from the first movie?Third,there were lots of places where the movie just felt like it was going on way too long.I didn't hate this movie.I did think there were some parts where it got a little suspencful and the performances weren't too bad.All in all rent this if it's a five night rental at blockbuster.

Rating:
Summary: This Movie is a Legend
Review: I believe this movie will go down as causing the end of the 90's teen slasher movies. It was absolutely awful! Horrible plot, horrible acting, horrible attempts at comedy. I felt no pity for the victims because we never really got a chance to know them. This movie is an insult to the first Urban Legend movie and makes it look like a masterpiece