Hostel: Part II

Hostel: Part II

Starring Lauren German & Roger Bart

When a film has a concept where a bunch of college kids looking for a good time go to Europe, find a bunch of hot girls, follow them wherever they go, then get caught up in a place that sells their bodies to paying killers, it's kind of hard to make a sequel out of that. However, director Eli Roth proves to do so in "Hostel: Part II." The question is: was it a successful make? Well, the answer is mixed.

In the sequel, we follow a trio of young American girls: the unemotional, rich Beth (Lauren German), the sexy, usually drunk Whitney (Bijou Phillips) and Lorna (Heather Matarazzo), a not-so-pretty and very weird gal. These girls came for the same reasons as the guys in the previous "Hostel" installment. With a hot babe to set them up (Vera Jordanova), they're ready to be caught in a no holds barred situation at the rundown factory where wealthy men (and in Lorna's case, women) come to carve them up.

However, "Part II" throws a curve ball to make things a bit more interesting. We meet Todd (Richard Burgi), a ripped guy who means business and is a murdering virgin, as is his friend Stuart (Roger Bart) who is indecisive about their present situation. Todd won a bid to have two girls (Beth and Whitney) to do what they please, but the contract is final. First, the tattoos, then they must pick their weaponry, and finally, kill.

This element of knowing the killers was interesting to watch but dragged the film into a pit where the audience is on top instead of wondering who's behind the next corner. We had a bird's eye view of every scene, piece by piece. The scares were cheap, not well-deserved. The suspense and horror that uplifted the first film was subdued and nearly non-existent in "Part II."

The acting in "Hostel: Part II" was mediocre, nothing to praise about. But there was Mr. Bart who showed us his inner battle whether to go through with the killing or not. I didn't believe him for a second. It was clear that he was acting and not living the role. It should have been the most interesting, grueling and wicked of characters, but with Bart's lack of the right emotion, he fell in that previously stated pit as well. His character didn't make sense. Who was his wife and why did he want to kill someone who looked like her? And why the sudden change of heart in the torture chamber? Looks like the script was flawed or Mr. Roth edited the wrong scene.

"Hostel: Part II" wasn't the worst, but it was far from the best. Eli Roth disappoints with less plot, less horror, and a helluva lot less gore than the first.

Grade: D+