UHM - Review - Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning

This is the prequel to the ever popular Canadian werewolf movies, and this time 'round takes place in the 19th century. In this movie we're left to assume that the character of Ginger and her sister are descendants of the ones we've grown to recognize in the previous two films. Not only do they have the same names as the two girls in present day, but also look exactly alike and, hell, even talk like its present day. With the exception of their ragged 19th century clothing, you'd think that they pulled a "Bill and Ted" and went back in time. Regardless, I did find the movie fairly entertaining and somewhat disappointing at the same time.

The story follows the two girls (Ginger and her sis) as they make their way through a wooded area in the dead of winter. They are apparently survivors of a shipwreck and after meeting up with an Indian, they take refuge in a desolate Trader's Fort. After being shunned by most of those living in the fort and hated by the preacher for being "sinners" because they're women, they end up having to worry about more than just the women-hating preacher when the Fort is attacked by a number of werewolves. With that, add the fact that Ginger somehow managed to get bit again, and you've got yourself part 1 all over again with a mix of the 19th century and a handful more werewolves.

This movie had potential of being good. I liked how early on the project was described to have "more action" and " more werewolves," but we don't really see that until towards the end. Half the movie consists of the girls trying to deal with their surroundings and then we see Ginger's ass get bit again, which brings us back to the other sister having to care for her. Of course there's some other stuff added in the mix, like slightly more folklore behind the werewolf curse, and the fact that we finally have more than just a small handful of people that are aware of the werewolves, which makes for some interesting confrontations towards the end.

I really wanted to like this, but I couldn't help but constantly compare it to the first. I liked the second one a little more because it went a different route than the first, and I figured this prequel would also go a similar path, but instead if rehashes a lot of the first with small minor differences. Sure there are some cool parts -- mainly all the werewolf action towards the end -- but other than that I actually found myself a little bored at times. Maybe I was just expecting a little too much from this. Either way, it's a decent flick, but just didn't have the flare of the first or the creativity of the second. The DVD will be released via Lion's Gate on September 7th.

OVERALL

Not a bad flick, but not particularly a good one either. Not as good as the first or as interesting as the second. It does have some cool moments towards the end, but it's basically the same formula of the first, which isn't a good thing. It’s worth a check if you're a fan of the previous movies or wanna see some werewolf action.

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Werewolf Hunter :

Posted 330 days ago

Not as good as the first, but better than the second. At least we got more werewolf action this time around.

ash :

Posted 546 days ago

a good movie overall. i am a huge fan of the entire series and i really did like this movie but it lacked some things. like..i was slightly confused by how they had the same names and looked the same but it was like 100 years before the first movie. but once i looked past that i started to enjoy it more. it was more slow paced than the first 2 but it offered good acting and a good plot none the less. not the best installment in the trilogy but good none the less.

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