Hostel: Part II (2007)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Eli Roth

Writers (WGA):

Eli Roth (written by)
Eli Roth (characters)

Release Date:

8 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Three American college students studying abroad are lured to a Slovakian hostel, and discover the grim reality behind it.

Plot Keywords:

Hostel | Slovakia | American | Torture | Murder

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Lauren German	...	Beth
Roger Bart	...	Stuart
Heather Matarazzo	...	Lorna
Bijou Phillips	...	Whitney
Richard Burgi	...	Todd
Vera Jordanova	...	Axelle
Jay Hernandez	...	Paxton
Jordan Ladd	...	Stephanie
Milan Knazko	...	Sasha
Edwige Fenech	...	Art Class Professor
Stanislav Ianevski	...	Miroslav
Patrik Zigo	...	Bubblegum Gang Leader
Zuzana Geislerová	...	Inya
Ivan Furak	...	Big Guard
Monika Malacova	...	Mrs. Bathory

MPAA:

Rated R for sadistic scenes of torture and bloody violence, terror, nudity, sexual content, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Slovak | Italian | Czech

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | Dolby

Certification:

USA:R | Brazil:18 | Australia:R | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:18 | Ireland:18 | UK:18 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | France:-16 (with warning) | Portugal:M/18 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | Japan:R-18 | New Zealand:(Banned) (uncut version) | New Zealand:R18 (cut) | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 (heavily cut version) | Germany:(Banned) (uncut version) | Germany:Not Rated (slightly cut) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Lionsgate

Trivia:

Luc Merenda also came out of retirement to play The Detective. Roth is a huge fan of Merenda's 1970s Italian films such as I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale (1973) and La città sconvolta: caccia spietata ai rapitori (1975), and asked him to play the role. Merenda called Edwige Fenech and asked her how she enjoyed working with Roth, and her response was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic that Merenda agreed to do it. Now a successful top dealer, Luc Merenda last was seen on the 1992 television show "L'edera" (1992), starring Susanna Bequer, who plays The Translator in the scene with Merenda in Hostel: Part II (2007).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While Lorna is suspended upside down her feet are clearly being held by thick cuffs designed for suspending a person in this way, however when a close up of her feet is shown she is supposed to be bound by some thin rough looking rope. This obviously would not have been possible to film with the actress actually hanging by such a thin rope as the weight of the human body hung by the ankles in this way would have caused injury to the actress.

Quotes:

[after Axelle drops her robe to pose nude for the art class]
Art Class Professor: Hands on your pencils, boys!

Movie Connections:

References Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Soundtrack:

Zala Travu

Most Satisfying Sequel in a Summer Full Of Disappointing Ones

It's strange that the critics who are giving this movie bad reviews aren't even giving an argument. They're simply saying it's "crud" and "torture porn." They are complaining that there is too much violence, while fans complain that there isn't enough. I strongly believe that this film deserves more credit than it's receiving. I also read a user comment on IMDb that said this film had the worst cast ever. That almost makes me think that the person did not see the movie.

The cast was the strongest aspect of the movie. German, Phillips, and Matarazzo were pretty damn perfect for their roles. They are the three leads, but the core of the film is the duo of Richard Burgi and Roger Bart. I knew they both looked kind of creepy but I had no idea they could act so well. Lionsgate did a very good thing by not pressuring Eli Roth into casting huge stars. I can honestly say that Burgi and Bart give the best performances in any horror movie I've seen in a long time. I also love how Roth wrote their characters. They were very real and believable because they're not just evil villains, they are family men. I thought I knew exactly where the characters were going, but Roth was successful in surprising me. I found it very entertaining to watch these two characters unravel. In addition to the main characters, the many offbeat minor characters were freaking amazing. I'm not certain at the moment who was in charge of casting, but to whoever was, I salute you. There are countless new characters with great faces, as well as the return of the desk clerk, who is surprisingly menacing. Roth also knows that he owes a lot to Italian cinema from the 70s and 80s. He's cast two famous actors from that period, as well as the director of the most infamous movie of all time. Their cameos were very (for lack of a much better word) good. I also have to mention the bubblegum gang. This time, the kids are interwoven nicely into the narrative. Their scenes were comedic but also had genuine emotional impact.

It is easy to notice that the photography, editing, and set designs of this film are much improved from the original. Unlike in the Saw films, the viewer is not distracted by these elements. Instead, the experience is enhanced. I was quite impressed.

I respect Roth much more as a filmmaker after this movie. There are several awesome montages, which I'm always a sucker for. He also constantly builds up our expectations (and, based on his other movies, we think everything will go according to plan) only to shatter them and fulfill in them in another way. This, in my opinion, is the way to go because it's both surprising and satisfying.

All in all, this movie offers SO much more than most horror sequels. Saw II, even though it was very successful, went in the direction of most horror sequels, focusing more and more on the killings instead of the people involved. Hostel Part II does the opposite, similar to Kill Bill. Fans may be disappointed that the torture scenes are shorter than in the first, but I think Roth handles the material wisely in most instances. And, yes, the girls' story is almost a mirror image of the boys' in the original, but it all feels fresh since we get to watch their journey knowing what's happening every step of the way.

The introduction with Jay Hernandez is one of the only things feels like something that's done in a lot of sequels. He should have been given more to do. It wouldn't have been necessary, but it would have been more interesting. His scenes here feel kind of forced, even though they're well done.

Oh, and about that ending. I didn't know how to feel at first. Roth has been promising so much. My first words after the movie were, "That wasn't the most shocking ending in history!" But the more I think about it, the more I love it. It's not a twist like I was expecting, although there is a nice twist in the climax. The final scene is very entertaining, however straight-forward it may be. It's still more fun than watching a bunch of billionaires steal money.