Hatchet II Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "Hatchet II" employs a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that reflects its low-budget horror origins with a distinctly murky and dim aesthetic. Shot on the RED camera, the film exhibits a dark, grimy palette that purposefully minimizes vibrant colors, creating a pervasive, bloody crimson shade. Most scenes take place at night, revealing a struggle to balance black levels and shadow detail. While delineation remains adequate, blacks often degrade into a soupy, noise-speckled gray, compromising clarity during darker scenes. In better-lit moments, however, the image showcases satisfactory sharpness and fine detail in facial textures and clothing.

Anchor Bay's Blu-ray presentation in a 1.78:1 framed 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode has its share of strengths and weaknesses. Grain levels remain unaltered, but frequent black crushes and noticeable noise and artifacts detract from the viewing experience. The disc features some impressive close-up details but is marred by inconsistent textures and contrast issues, contributing to an overall lackluster visual presentation. Notably, a frame where the entire picture breaks into a checkerboard pattern at the 3-minute, 24-second mark highlights authoring problems, adding to an array of blemishes that ultimately undermine the potential of this transfer.

The audio presentation of "Hatchet II" on Blu-ray is meticulously crafted, featuring a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that excels in delivering a rich and immersive sound experience pivotal to the horror genre. The mix immerses viewers deeply into the Louisiana bayou setting, with atmospheric sounds like lapping water, rustling wind, cawing birds, and buzzing insects creating an authentic environment. Adding layers of visceral sound effects, such as arterial blood spattering from the rear speakers, ghostly screams, and chainsaw growls, the track ensures a gripping auditory experience. The music score enhances this immersion, filling the soundfield and occasionally engaging the LFE channel to produce gut-quaking bass.

In terms of technical execution, the DTS-HD track impresses with its clarity and meticulous balance, ensuring no line of dialogue is lost or requires volume adjustment. The dynamics are precisely tuned, maintaining balanced levels across dialogue, music, and sound effects. The rear channels provide a subtle yet effective amount of ambient detail and action, aiding in the overall immersion without ever overwhelming the primary audio elements. While there's room for slightly more extensive use of the rear channels, particularly in enhancing environmental sounds and effects, the existing setup provides a thoroughly engaging and satisfying audio experience. Additionally, a 2.0 PCM mix-down is available for alternative listening preferences, with English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided in easy-to-read white lettering for accessibility.

Overall, the audio track for "Hatchet II" is a standout feature that supports the intense atmosphere of the film, ensuring viewers remain fully engrossed from start to finish. The combination of spot-on sound dynamics, immersive ambient details, and clear dialogue showcases the technical finesse behind this Blu-ray release.

The Blu-ray extras for "Hatchet II" deliver a compelling and comprehensive exploration of the film's production, catering to both dedicated fans and aspiring filmmakers. The dual audio commentaries offer distinct insights; the Actor/Director commentary adds fan-driven excitement despite occasional meandering, while the Technical track offers a deep dive into practical filming aspects, making it the more informative of the two. "Hatchet II: Behind the Screams" provides a thorough making-of documentary with rich behind-the-scenes content and interviews, complemented by the shorter yet similar "Hatchet II EPK". "The Killing Machine" delivers a fascinating look into the movie's special effects, focusing on the grisly kill setups. The collection is rounded out by standard promotional materials like trailers and spots, ensuring a robust understanding of the film's promotional journey.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentaries: Two tracks with Adam Green, cast, and crew.
• Hatchet II: Behind the Screams: Making-of documentary.
• Hatchet II EPK: Condensed behind-the-scenes feature.
• The Killing Machine: Special effects breakdown.
• Trailer: Official trailer.
• Teaser Trailer: Initial promotional teaser.
• TV Spot: Short TV advertisement.
• Radio Spot: Brief radio commercial.

Adam Green's "Hatchet II" picks up where its predecessor left off, doubling down on the gory extravagance that characterized the original. Unfortunately, this sequel struggles to add any meaningful depth to the series. Danielle Harris takes over as Marybeth, a protagonist driven by revenge against the specter of Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), whose gruesome backstory is relayed in an overly tedious manner. This film promises more bloodshed, and it delivers in terms of creative kills—but it's a slow build. The initial 45 minutes drag with endless exposition and character introduction, before unleashing a flurry of extreme, albeit often ridiculous, violent set-pieces.

The strength of "Hatchet II" lies in its practical effects and inventive kills, which will likely appease gore enthusiasts. From skulls being sanded to the brain to a grotesque use of a chainsaw that splits victims from the crotch upwards, Green ensures the carnage meets the expectations set by the slasher genre's standards. Despite these moments of spectacle, the film remains trapped in the realm of homage without pushing boundaries or delivering genuine scares. The humor is ham-fisted, and while it tries to invoke old-school American horror, it feels more like an uninspired retread than a refreshing take.

The film’s attempt to blend horror nostalgia with contemporary filmmaking is undermined by its weak plot and shallow character development. Most characters exist solely as fodder for Crowley's rampage, lacking substance or purpose beyond their gory demises. Green's direction maintains a brisk enough pace once the killing starts, but the script suffers from inconsistency and fails to capitalize on the lore established in the first film. Ultimately, "Hatchet II" offers little new to the franchise, sticking too closely to predictable tropes and missing an opportunity for narrative growth, leaving it as a serviceable but forgettable entry in the slasher canon.

"Hatchet II" on Blu-ray is a product that caters mainly to dedicated genre fans, particularly those who revel in over-the-top practical effects and high kill counts. The theatrical release of the film was notorious for its abrupt withdrawal from screens, spurring controversy among horror aficionados. Although the practical effects are exceptionally well-executed, the narrative remains disappointingly generic, lacking the innovative spark to elevate the film above the clichéd pitfalls of modern horror storytelling.

The Blu-ray release itself offers a decent high-definition presentation, though the video quality could have been improved. The audio, however, is commendable, providing a robust auditory experience that complements the film's gruesome effects. Supplementary materials included in this release are solid, adding value for fans who seek insights into the filmmaking process and additional content beyond the main feature.

In conclusion, "Hatchet II" on Blu-ray stands as a niche product tailored for hardcore followers of the franchise and gore enthusiasts. While it doesn't break new ground in terms of storytelling, the film shines in its meticulous practical effects and thorough supplemental content. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, it underscores the adage that certain films are best appreciated within their devoted fanbase—on their HDTV screens rather than in theaters.