Tag line : Twice the terror. Double the fear!

When it was announced that Wes Craven was working on a sequel to his 2005 remake, the big question was would he simply remake his original sequel from the 1980's, or do something completely new?

Fortunately, Craven decided on the latter option. This story takes place at some indeterminate time after the last film,  whereby a group of Army scientists are rigging up a bunch of motion sensors out in the desert in some of their old nuclear test bunkers.

A group of National Guard trainees delivering supplies, later arrive to find the scientists camp deserted and all the equipment smashed. Realising something's amiss, and after receiving what sounds like a distress call on their radio, they head off up one of the nearby mountains in search of what they believe are the missing scientists.

But when they discover what really happened to the scientific team, they find themselves fighting a running battle to make it back down alive. As the Guardsmen, though heavily armed, find themselves hopelessly outnumbered and on unfamiliar territory, as the mutated mountain men show up and start picking them off one at a time.

It's good to see that Craven stayed clear of the "teens in peril" format that's prevalent in so many of these movies, although I couldn't help but notice distinct similarities between this and the film "Southern Comfort", which was another film about National Guardsmen in a remote area having trouble with the locals.

Martin Weisz, who's better known for his music videos, does a respectable job in the directors chair and in keeping with the previous film, doesn't skimp on the gore and graphic excesses, which proves to be equally as nasty in places. If you enjoyed the previous film, you should get an equally good kick out of this one.

Overall marks : 5/10.

Terrifying Trivia.

• Alternate tag line "Last year the lucky ones died first. On march 23rd the lucky ones die fast"

• The mine shaft sets were created by the same effects team who produced the cave sets for the 2005 film "The Descent".

• The films budget was $15,000,000.

• Though Craven claims this was based on an original idea, the outline is decidedly similar to an early script he wrote during the late 80's for an intended third sequel to the original Hills Have Eyes, about the Army trying to exploit the mountain men and ending up fighting them off. That script was very heavily re-written and eventually filmed as "Mind Ripper".

• Michael Bailey Smith who plays the lead mutant "Hades" also played "Pluto" in the previous film.

• Daniella Alonso who plays PFC Martinez also played Amber in "Wrong Turn 2".

• Like the previous film, although set in New Mexico it was actually filmed in Morocco .

• For the scene involving the portable toilet, the muck that actor Jay Acovone was covered in was actually stewed prunes.

• The original promo poster showing a hand protruding from a bound up body being dragged along the floor (see cover gallery, US poster 1) was rejected as being "too disturbing" by the US ratings board from going on general display, so was replaced with an amended poster which airbrushed out the hand (see US poster 2). The final poster design had a pair of legs protruding from the coverings (see theatrical poster), though the studio changed the artwork again for the DVD release to an even more shocking design than the first (pictured above) which showed the upper torso of a screaming girl protruding from the body coverings, which was done presumably to annoy the ratings board.

Cast & Crew.

Cover Gallery.

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