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    The Collection

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

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    "The Collection" is by no means high art but if you liked "The Collector" and you want a horror sequel done right, look no further than this follow-up. Seeing the film is essential to get the full impact of this one, as a character returns to play a pivotal role. It’s impossible not to spoil “The Collector” when talking about “The Collection”. You’ve been warned.

    After narrowly escaping from The Collector (Randall Archer), Arkin (Josh Stewart) is coerced into helping in the search for the maniac’s latest acquisition, a woman by the name of Elena. Upon discovering The Collector’s lair, they find a whole lot more than they bargained for.

    When making a horror sequel there are a lot of ways you can screw up and run the whole franchise into the ground. This 2012 hardcore horror flick avoids letting down fans of the original and expands on the mythology introduced in many satisfying ways. There are certain mandatory elements needed: a higher body count, new types of kills, more info about the killer without robbing them of the mystique that makes them frightening and smart, compelling protagonists you want to see make it to the end. This film delivers in all of those departments. When it comes to the kill count, it's significantly higher than the first, almost to a fault. The introduction shows us victims basically being butchered en-masse and it really feels like it's a bit too much. It's one thing to set up a house with dozens of deadly traps but what The Collector sets up here is almost unbelievable. He makes Jigsaw (from the “Saw” Franchise) look like an amateur. Heck, he’s giving the bubonic plague a run for its money at this rate. How you feel about some of the over-the-top gory moments will depend on what your expectations of the movie are. If you're looking for some gritty realism (or as much as you could with the premise of this killer) you'll find that some of the more outlandish moments pull you out of the story. If you just want to see blood splattering everywhere, the high amount of gore will please you. Personally, I was disappointed by the larger-than-life direction this film took. I feel that it's a departure from the initial story, which might not have been hyper-realistic but did try to keep the traps believable due to their simplicity. Here they are far more elaborate and flashy.

    I have to give “The Collection” a medal for pulling out some original ideas, but nonetheless. On the upside, between this and the first, no two fatalities are quite the same. Is it hard to predict who is going to live and die? No. What is hard to foresee is HOW they’re going to wind up in their grave. Is the killer’s prey is going to dodge the tripwires, die, or just get badly mutilated (Which in many cases is actually the most terrifying outcome)?

    All of the traps and possible mutilations have little impact if you don't care about the people at risk. We get a mix of random chumps biting the dust (mostly towards the beginning during the aforementioned over-the-top killing spree) and well-established characters being put in jeopardy once the plot really gets going. I felt that the predictability of the outcomes was met with an element that makes the film more than interesting enough, the fact that the would-be victims are actually intelligent. When trapped, they use logic and strategies in order to escape and survive, they work together and are cautious as they delve deeper into the maze that's been set up for them. Everyone is given plausible reason for being stuck in the mess they're in and the mixture of possible horrific death, wanting to see the bad guy get away and the brief but effective character development in the numerous players means you get some genuine tension and some good twists too. You never really know if the characters brought back from #1 "immune" to being killed or not, an extra bonus.

    We get more info on the killer but thankfully; there is a lot of mystery left at the end of the film. You find out why he is collecting (or at least the results of the "hobby"), but you never know how this started. Or how long it's been going on. Or exactly what the purpose of this bizarre collection is. What I’m saying is that there is still that frightening element of the unknown present.

    I like the setup here. It’s actually ingenious to reverse the roles and have the heroes trying to get something from inside the killer’s house inside of having to leave their own. The ending is also very strong. At first you think that you're getting the typical serial killer “Oh, but the evil lives ON! ” conclusion but it goes on and to deliver a whopper of a revelation.

    There are some inconsistencies in the film when it comes to the injuries. Sometimes people die from wounds that are fatal, other times they're still able to walk around as long as they limp a bit. And some men or women are able to ignore some serious blows until it's convenient for the plot. Combine this with the extravagant gore and I don’t think this film is as good as the first, mostly because it’s just too big. Sometimes big elaborate effects aren't nearly as stomach-wrenching as something simple like rusty fishing hooks on strings. Despite its faults, there's a lot more that works in "The Collection" and if this kind of horror is your cup of tea, you’ll dig “The Collection”. (On Blu-ray, May 28, 2013)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  4.5.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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