HATCHET III [2013]

Adam Green hands over the script to the third (and final?) instalment of his Hatchet series to BJ McDonnell to give a go at directing this bad, yet somewhat entertaining franchise.
McDonnell doesn't really bring anything new to the look of the series, in fact it looks and feels exactly the same, only now the Bayou Butcher appears to be bigger, angrier and sounds sort of like a lion.  There's some hilarious moments in the film that requires knowledge of the first two and some great b-movie death scenes but after all is said and done that's about it.  It's fun but easily forgettable.

2½ fine...I give up...it's a hatchet out of 5

HATCHET II [2010]

Up-and-coming Scream Queen Danielle Harris replaces Tamara Feldman as Marybeth in the second instalment of Adam Green's Hatchet series.
The film picks up exactly where the first film left off, as we see Marybeth and a gang of hunters track down the Bayou Buthcher with the intention of killing him...only we all know it doesn't quite work out that way.  It's even bloodier and sillier than the first film, causing it to get pulled by several theaters after a few days due to it's excessive gore.  It's horribly acted, awkwardly paced and just plain ridiculous although it just narrowly misses the mark of being one of those "so bad it's good" horror films.

2 still not a hatchet out of 5

HATCHET [2006]

For his first dip into the horror world, director Adam Green rounds up an ensemble cast that genre fans will all recognize in the campy slasher flick Hatchet.
Even though it might have several humorous bits it never really delivers with the scares and instead fancies itself an old school Jason Vorhees-esque bloodfest.  As a fan of trashy horror films I found a bit of enjoyment in it but can hardly recommend it to anyone looking for something remotely original or even memorable.

2 "wait a minute, that's not a hatchet...it's an axe" out of 5

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW [2002]

Serving as sort of a lead-in to the Fast & Furious' Han Lue's life before his life of cool cars &organized crime, writer/director Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow is a bit difficult to wrap your head around at first.  

It's not particularly flashy or fast-paced like the F&F series but seems more like an indie-crime drama that can't quite decide what it wants to be.  It's filled with loads of bizarre camera shots and multi-layered character moments but also has it's fair share of awkward performances and klunky dialogue.  Take a bunch of F&F type characters and place them in thoughtful, down-to-earth situations and it quickly exposes them as the douches they are.  All faults aside, it's a frightening and shocking film that proves Lin has a little something more inside him than just dumb action films. 

3 Beaver Cleaver The Teachers out of 5