The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Movie 2007): Repulsive Glorification of Violence

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007) with Michael McMillian. Mutant cannibal food for thought: Why is this sequel to the 2006 remake of Wes Craven’s 1977 “classic” slasher not quite a remake of the 1984 sequel to Craven’s original?

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (movie 2007) review: Sequel to remake of Wes Craven horror ‘classic’ offers more gore for gore’s sake

Last year, the reboot of The Hills Have Eyes failed to capture the terror of Wes Craven’s original 1977 classic, but it performed well enough at the box office to convince the producers at the 20th Century Fox subdivision Fox Atomic to speed up the release of a sequel. The result, The Hills Have Eyes 2 (a.k.a. The Hills Have Eyes II), is a tedious 90-minute glorification of violence and torture.

The movie lifts off as a military unit is ordered to deliver supplies to Sector 16 in the New Mexico desert, an area once used by the U.S. government for nuclear testing. Shortly after their arrival in what looks like an abandoned camp, the soldiers decide to track down their comrades in the hills, home to a pack of vicious mutants eager to kill anyone trespassing into their territory.

Primitive plot

Carelessly written by Wes Craven and his son Jonathan, and directed by Martin Weisz, the mind behind the excellent cannibal tale Grimm Love / Rohtenburg, The Hills Have Eyes 2 suffers from a primitive plot structure.

It starts off with nine characters so the audience can get to watch them die one by one as they tiptoe through old mines in the hopes of finding a way down the hills. This predictable structure serves only to kill off any potential for suspense the film might have had.

Stupid humans, smart mutants

Throughout it all, the movie relies on “boo” moments, most of which fall flat. Any semblance of character development is conspicuously absent; almost every time the actors open their mouths, they either say something stupid or the F word.

The filmmakers do make an attempt to depict the monsters as halfway smart (they keep women alive for breeding), but they botch that up with a grotesque rape scene.

Admittedly, the pace picks up near the climax, but moments of suspense or real horror are scarce. If you’re looking for a scary ride through some somber caves, go watch Neil Marshall’s The Descent instead.

The Hills Have Eyes 2 / The Hills Have Eyes II (movie 2007) cast & crew

Director: Martin Weisz.

Screenplay: Wes Craven & Jonathan Craven.
Characters by Wes Craven.

Cast: Michael McMillian. Jessica Stroup. Jacob Vargas. Ben Crowley. Daniella Alonso. Eric Edelstein. Flex Alexander. Philip Pavel. Archie Kao.

“The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Movie 2007): Repulsive Glorification of Violence” review text © Franck Tabouring; excerpt, image captions, bullet point introduction, and notes © Alt Film Guide.

“The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Movie 2007): Repulsive Glorification of Violence” notes

Michael McMillian The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007) movie image: Fox Atomic.

“The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Movie 2007): Repulsive Glorification of Violence” last updated in April 2023.