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Ginger Snaps Back: The
Beginning (directed by Grant Harvey)
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Most horror
movie sequels have a simple formula: copy the first film over
and over. In the case of the Ginger
Snaps franchise, this rule is broken into little pieces
and snorted like so much Peruvian flake. Whether you feel
the sequels to be better than or inferior to the original,
the fact remains that both Ginger Snaps 2 and 3 are unique
works that stand on their own. But how do they stand up to
each other?.
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"Call
me 'Bat Girl' and I eat the blonde bitch."
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Ginger
Snaps 2: Unleashed
(directed by Brett Sullivan, who edited the original)
picks up where the first film left off. Brigitte (Emily Perkins)
is alone, desperately fighting off her transformation into a
werewolf by shooting up wolfsbane. What's worse, she's being
stalked by a werewolf that wants to mate with her. After a human
would-be suitor is dispatched by the beast (a common theme in
these films seems to be "don't hit on Canadian goth chicks"),
Brigitte awakens to find that she's locked in a rehab clinic
for teenage girls. You see, she's exhibiting all the signs of
being a junkie. The only person who knows the truth is a strange
little girl named Ghost (Tatiana Maslany), and the two
soon form an uneasy alliance.
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"Can
you help me out so I can get something to eat?"
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Ginger
Snaps 2 has received a lot of flack from die-hard fans, who
apparently had issues with Ginger being more or less replaced
by Ghost as a main character. Admittedly, the movie gets a
bit convoluted during its third act. Nonetheless, I thought
the whole rehab clinic scenario was an ingenious way to frame
Brigitte's transformation, just as Ginger's menstrual cycle
worked for the first film. This movie proves the point that
you can't mess with a franchise too much, or you start to
piss off your fan base. Ginger Snaps 2 definitely leaves room
for a sequel, but it would most likely be an anomaly of Halloween
3: Season of the Witch proportions.
This is presumably
why Grant Harvey (who produced Ginger Snaps 2) opted
to make a "prequel" with Ginger
Snaps Back: The Beginning. Placing Brigitte and Ginger
in the 19th century, this film attempts to explain the ancestry
of our main characters amidst a backdrop of Native American
legends and racial conflict during the Expansion. The girls
end up in a fortress where a group of men are fighting a losing
battle against a wilderness filled with bloodthirsty werewolves.
Like in the first film, Ginger (Katherine Isabelle)
is bit and begins to transform, threatening the "together
forever" bond between her and her sister.
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Ginger
earns her Red Wings.
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Again,
it's a damn good movie, and one that is probably better than
the original. The period-piece setting works well, and the
inclusion of the Wendigo legend as part of the back story
adds a nice touch. This entry also features the best acting
of the series, with a strong ensemble cast portraying the
doomed explorers (including Brendan Fletcher from Freddy
vs. Jason, who managed to score roles in both Ginger
Snaps sequels basically playing different versions of the
same ill-fated character).
In summation,
I would have to say that the third movie wins, but only because
it has a stronger (if equally bleak) ending. The DVD also
has a more impressive selection of extras. Both sequels make
the first film look downright silly, what with its teen angst
and sexual humor. My advice is to watch all three back to
back, and stay away from those Canadian chicks when they're
on the rag.
(Click
Here for Ginger Snaps 2's Technical Specs)
(Click
Here for Ginger Snaps Back's Technical Specs)
RYAN-O
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