When his career hits top notch, Santiago Muñez is thrown into a new world of fame with a move from his English cub to Real Madrid but what becomes of him and his family when this change threatens their bond.
Filmmaker Eli Roth tries to enliven the formula, but this sequel loses the grim surprise of the original without adding much new in terms of plotting or gory set pieces.
Both nubile females and alpha-male douche bags are on the receiving end of pain (that's supposed to nullify accusations of misogyny, is it?), but really, we're all the victims here.
There's a keen intelligence behind all that gleeful degradation and it pays off in a finish that's at once ironic, satirical, and perversely satisfying.
Georgia Straight
July 07, 2010
There are some grisly deaths gore hounds would approve of, but the focus is more on the motives of the murderous pervs and the inner workings of the snuff corporation.
The movie is almost totally devoid of suspense, which is one of the marks of a true exploitation film. Why waste time with a bunch of false scares and tension, when you can go straight to the pain and suffering?
Gory torture bloodbath checks in for another stay.
Chicago Reader
October 23, 2007
Roth's dark humor and lacerating view of human weakness sometimes suggest George Romero; what he lacks is Romero's stubborn belief in personal morality.
