Written by Josh Brewer, November 5, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. Tweet to: @theJWBrewer
Title: Hatchet
Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green
Release Date: September 7, 2007
Cast: Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Kane Hodder
Hatchet Cliff’s Notes
Trying to get over his recent breakup, a guy and his best friend decided to take a haunted swamp tour instead of doing the Mardi Gras thing (We all mourn in different ways). Unfortunately for them, and the strangers they’re traveling with, the boat doesn’t make it and they end up stranded. Don’t worry, though. Victor Crowley is out there and he’s going to help…
Lecture
After spending the last six weeks living and breathing Halloween, I thought I’d grab a solid, modern slasher to slide my way back into the rest of the genre. I gave Hatchet, from quality director Adam Green, a whirl in the old XBOX and the result… It pretty much rocks!
Hatchet wears its influences on its sleeve – cameos from Robert Englund, Joshua Leonard, Tony Todd, and John Carl Buechler will do that for you – and makes no excuses for what it is. This is an 80’s throwback with modern sensibilities and one heck of a mean streak.
Characters go to a place, get slaughtered while trying to get out, and the audience goes wild! Sure, there’s nothing new about this, but it’s like seeing an old friend and they’re just as fun and charming as they ever were. They don’t re-invent a wheel, Hatchet is just a wheel that works really, really well.
Add to that a slew of fun horror bits, all the practical effects you could ask for, a cast that’s rocking everything and the vote, razor sharp quips and dialogue, and more than one out there kill, and you get one of the best throwback slashers. Nothing is being reconstructed or broken down, this is a movie that’s made to be fun.
And, most of the time, it is. Sure, there are a few moments that don’t always land – any flick relying on an acting school joke is stretching, but what little doesn’t work is overshadowed by the masses of things that do. Hatchet does what every good horror film should, makes the world a little better for an hour and a half.
Acting
This is a cast that is having all kinds of fun and it shows! The side players here are living it up and Hatchet gets a ton of leverage because of it. Add to that the quality work of McNab and Shen, as well as a surprisingly soft turn from Kane Hodder, and you’ve got a flick that’s rocking. I wouldn’t have thought of Moore as the lead in a slasher, but he’s on point here and his comedic timing really aids the role.
The only low point is Feldman, who underplays her part a touch too much. Richmond is the highlight of the flick here. He takes what could be a one-note best friend character and had me rooting for him the entire way. He really add a level to this flick that’s often not seen in horror films. Nice job!
Directing
Green rocks his 80’s throwback and Hatchet grooves because if it. His pacing is swift and effortless, and he manages to develop our leads at the same time.
Once the horror bits get going, Green is in full control and really takes the flick into fourth gear. While he doesn’t show any of the more artistic, subtle work that defines some of his other genre pieces – check out Frozen or the awesome Spiral if you’re looking for that – all of his work here rocks.
Script
This is not where Hatchet thrives. The events are pretty straight forward, I called all of the kills but one from jump street, and the outlier I called about 30 seconds later. What’s more, the characters here are all types and only a few people are given any kind of layering. All is forgiven though, because the actors take what they’re given and run with it. That, combined with some razor sharp dialogue, really pull the script through.
Effects
Oh my god, it’s amazing! The effects here are all practical and all amazing! I’m not going to ruin them here, but if you’re a gorehound, you’re going to love this puppy. And if you’re not, you might become one.
Highlights
All. Of. The. Kills. Thanks, Hatchet!
Lowlights
Every once in awhile, a few of the jokes get taken a little too far. I dig Tony Todd, but his cameo here is a little weird and out of left field. And while I dug the acting school joke, both of the hombres I checked the flick out with couldn’t make heads or tails of it. You win some, you lose some.
Final Thoughts
A throwback to the 80’s style backwoods slasher but with enough intelligence to lift the product above its brethren, Hatchet delivers a good time in spades. Long live Victor Crowley!