by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment it’s Mutilator 2, the sequel to Buddy Cooper’s 80’s slasher classic The Mutilator.
Synopsis
Many years after its initial 1984 release, the slasher classic The Mutilator, about a college student who accidentally kills his mother with a shotgun, is being remade. A wrap party has been scheduled for the night following the final day of shooting. Cast members of the original film have been invited, and everyone is excited. Unfortunately, they are besieged by an unknown killer who favours the use of the same or similarly-flavoured nautical implements of death as used by Big Ed, the original grief-crazed Mutilator maniac. Let the gore and glee begin with a vengeance.
The Good
Joseph: I haven’t seen the original The Mutilator, so I’ll leave the comparisons to The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict’s resident slasher cognoscente Mike and review this sequel on its own merits. Mutilator 2 obviously takes a meta approach to the proceedings, and the actors from the original film and their characters are explained well enough — with some clips for visual assistance — for me to understand the basics without seeing the 1984 movie. I have an aversion to horror movie scenes involving fish hooks and eye trauma, and this movie provides plenty of opportunities for immersion therapy for both for yours truly. The kills are nasty and brought to cinematic life by way of gnarly, impressive practical effects. Slasher fans will find plenty of gruesome set pieces in which to revel.
Mike: I’m a huge fan of the first Mutilator and am thus more than likely the target audience for Mutilator 2. Did this work for me? In short, yes.
There are plenty of references and some scenes from the original to stir the nostalgia pot which is seasoned to perfection with a number of the original cast members playing themselves here. The meta hooks are deeply stuck into this as we’re looking in on the final days of a The Mutilator reboot and so we have original cast members showing up for the wrap party, and plenty of “movie within a movie” scenes.
The acting is adequate, but stellar performances are never required in these types of movies anyway, so what we get is good enough for what we need. Once the killings start we’re treated to some wonderful practical effects that prove that CGI is no match for doing it old-school. Fish hooks, filet knives, and yeah, even an old battle ax, are used to dispatch victims via some of the gnarliest kills seen in a while.
There’s a certain level of dark comedy that works its way to the surface that outshines some of the attempts at belly laughs that seem like a fish out of water in the first place.
The Bad
Joseph: Some of the performances are on the corny side, and the second act slows things down a bit. There are some hit-and-run comedy bits that vary in how funny they are. I’m still rubbing my chin over that ending, too . . .
Mike: Mutilator 2 is a slow-paced affair as the second act serves basically as a means for Buddy Cooper to revel in some behind the scenes action. Supposedly a detective is on hand to investigate the first murder of the film, but he’s mostly relegated to the final act. Instead we get some scenes with the legacy actors and a ton of meta filler that doesn’t serve anything more than possibly Cooper’s memories of the original film. While entertaining in its own way, this slows the film down to a near standstill, forcing the viewer to sit through some bad attempts at humor.
There are going to be viewers who question the rationale behind going the meta route and not making a straight up sequel and getting them to put this second act behind them enough to enjoy the final act is going to be tough, though getting them to accept the ending may be an even tougher task.
Now, normally we avoid spoilers here but I feel like it needs to be mentioned that, with great sadness, that there is no reprise of ‘Fall Break’ here. An absolute humdinger of a missed opportunity if there ever was one.
The Verdict
Joseph: Overall, Mutilator 2 is a fun meta horror outing that knows exactly what kind of film it is. You’ll come for the kills and stay for the behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Recommended for enthusiasts of old-school slashers and also those who like their horror comedies broad.
Mike: Buddy Cooper has crafted a love letter to his original The Mutilator here with Mutilator 2. While it slows down during its second act in which we are treated to an almost crash course in filmmaking terminology and some behind the scenes hijinks, things certainly pick up as the film races towards its sure-to-be-divisive ending. The practical effects used for the various kills are top notch and will have old school slasher fans pining for the golden era of the subgenre.
While the overall story is a little weak, Mutilator 2 is still a fun movie that is surely much better than a straight up sequel or reboot would have been.
Mutilator 2
Directed By: Buddy Cooper
Written By: Buddy Cooper, John Douglass, Edmund Ferrell
Starring: Terry Kiser, Eva Hamilton, Cody Renee Cameron
Run Time: 1h 21m
Rating: NR
Release Date: October 7, 2023 (United States)
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