While it's not anything super special, I for one quite enjoyed 2007 supernatural horror flick 'The messengers'; I thought it was well done. It was striking to me that, accordingly, Todd Farmer's original screenplay was all but totally scrapped - only to come back to the table for this 2009 prequel. Ultimately such details of the production history might actually be more noteworthy than the film itself, but hey - if it's a horror flick you want, then it's a horror flick you'll get. It's a fair wager, however, that most viewers need something beyond that base descriptor.
I loved 2001 'Friday the 13th' sequel 'Jason X'; it's a fabulously, deliberately overcooked horror-comedy that in my mind is the best of the franchise. On the basis of that one film, for better or worse I'll always try anything else for which Farmer has a writing credit. It comes across rather quickly that 'Messengers 2: The scarecrow' also is decidedly blunt, heavy-handed and lacking of any subtlety or delicate hand. It's also clear that this is not a horror comedy. The pace is brisk, Martin Barnewitz's direction feels rushed, performances are robbed of nuance and tact. Dialogue, scene writing, music, and even cinematography seem forced through a grinder, as dull and forthright as they could be. Matt Michael's editing is likewise overzealous; any moment that should have impact is stripped of it. Oh, and let's not overlook the wholly gratuitous nudity and sex scene.
The term "direct to video" carries certain connotations, not unlike "TV movie," and 'Messengers 2' definitely has that same feeling. It comes across as the exact type of genre flick that's churned out quickly and cheaply, marking boxes off on a checklist for inclusion without any especial care or consideration for how it all comes together. Even those moments of would-be thrills communicate no real feelings. This feature largely presents itself with airs as a psychological thriller, but - especially seeing as it's a genre that requires a soft touch - the end product here can hardly even begin to feel convincing. In its total lack of any finesse, it becomes bland and aggravating; the best I can say is that the climax goes a different direction than I had anticipated, but even that doesn't amount to enough to compensate, and it's capped off with an ending that just kills the mood all over again.
I didn't have high expectations in the first place, but I'm sad to say 'Messengers 2' still fell far below them. Rarely have ninety minutes stretched on for so long; I was aghast to look at the digital timer at one point and see there was still half an hour left. To be fair, the plot dump we get a little after the one-hour mark might be the most interesting scene in the whole picture, but by that point I've already pretty well checked out. Whatever good ideas there were in Farmer's screenplay are overshadowed by too many others that are tawdry or boorish, and the execution is worse still, a cavalcade of empty hot air. However much one enjoyed 2007's 'The messengers,' and however one stumbles onto this, there's entirely too little value herein to make it worthwhile. 'Messengers 2: The scarecrow' is plagued with a laundry list of problems that makes it a chore to watch, and I can't particularly recommend it for any reason.
At least Richard Riehle seemed to be having fun. I'm glad someone did.
I loved 2001 'Friday the 13th' sequel 'Jason X'; it's a fabulously, deliberately overcooked horror-comedy that in my mind is the best of the franchise. On the basis of that one film, for better or worse I'll always try anything else for which Farmer has a writing credit. It comes across rather quickly that 'Messengers 2: The scarecrow' also is decidedly blunt, heavy-handed and lacking of any subtlety or delicate hand. It's also clear that this is not a horror comedy. The pace is brisk, Martin Barnewitz's direction feels rushed, performances are robbed of nuance and tact. Dialogue, scene writing, music, and even cinematography seem forced through a grinder, as dull and forthright as they could be. Matt Michael's editing is likewise overzealous; any moment that should have impact is stripped of it. Oh, and let's not overlook the wholly gratuitous nudity and sex scene.
The term "direct to video" carries certain connotations, not unlike "TV movie," and 'Messengers 2' definitely has that same feeling. It comes across as the exact type of genre flick that's churned out quickly and cheaply, marking boxes off on a checklist for inclusion without any especial care or consideration for how it all comes together. Even those moments of would-be thrills communicate no real feelings. This feature largely presents itself with airs as a psychological thriller, but - especially seeing as it's a genre that requires a soft touch - the end product here can hardly even begin to feel convincing. In its total lack of any finesse, it becomes bland and aggravating; the best I can say is that the climax goes a different direction than I had anticipated, but even that doesn't amount to enough to compensate, and it's capped off with an ending that just kills the mood all over again.
I didn't have high expectations in the first place, but I'm sad to say 'Messengers 2' still fell far below them. Rarely have ninety minutes stretched on for so long; I was aghast to look at the digital timer at one point and see there was still half an hour left. To be fair, the plot dump we get a little after the one-hour mark might be the most interesting scene in the whole picture, but by that point I've already pretty well checked out. Whatever good ideas there were in Farmer's screenplay are overshadowed by too many others that are tawdry or boorish, and the execution is worse still, a cavalcade of empty hot air. However much one enjoyed 2007's 'The messengers,' and however one stumbles onto this, there's entirely too little value herein to make it worthwhile. 'Messengers 2: The scarecrow' is plagued with a laundry list of problems that makes it a chore to watch, and I can't particularly recommend it for any reason.
At least Richard Riehle seemed to be having fun. I'm glad someone did.