Filthy Review - Hostel Pt.3

Hostel Pt.3 (2011)

Review Jude Felton

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny the impact that Eli Roth’s 2005 flick Hostel had on the world of Horror. That movie and the previous year’s Saw, although both very good movies, seemed to spawn, or at the very least help spawn, the obnoxious phrase of Torture Porn. Hostel was however a wonderfully slick and sick movie, it helped put the fear of the Devil himself into untold Americans. Each one of them terrified to visit Europe for fear of a grisly death. Job Done Mr. Roth.

The second installment, once again directed by Roth, also hit the theaters. It wasn’t until I watched it again on DVD that I really appreciated it. On a first viewing it seemed to be just a rehash of the first movie, and to a certain degree it was. However, the expansion of knowledge regarding the dreaded Elite Hunting club and other nice touches actually elevated it into the rare class of sequel that is on par with its predecessor.

Now we face the inevitable direct to video second sequel. Quite why Sony, who released this sequel, decided not to go the theatrical route is beyond me. Although, that being said, I don’t recall Hostel Pt. 2 doing all that well theatrically, hence the DTV release. I will say this, before I go much further, it does show that the budget wasn’t there for this movie. Hostel Pt.3 doesn’t look cheap, but there is a certain something about it that gives it away. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as this flick does have both its positives and negatives about it.

Stepping into the director’s chair this time around is genre favorite Scott Spiegel, he of the recently re-released Intruder splatterganza and crazy camera angle fame. He, of course, did work as an Executive Producer on the first two movies, so he is no stranger to the material.

Making a move from the sunny climes of Slovakia to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Hostel Pt.3 follows Scott and his three buddies as they head to the city of sin for his stag weekend. Think The Hangover gone really, really bad and you might get the picture. However, rather than just follow the formula of the first two movies, which it does to a degree, it adds a little twist to the proceedings. This time out the focus isn’t on bidding on your victim, which must happen as people do die, but we get to see that folk bet on how the victim will plead for the lives. They also get to bet on which weapon the killer will choose.

These are nice touches that do add a little bit more to the Elite Hunting scenario, and there are some other cool twists and turns where the movie takes you in a direction that you might not quite expect. It did surprise me once or twice, which was refreshing.

Now, I’m afraid there are some negatives to be had with Hostel Pt.3. Why, oh why, kill off who I thought were the two most interesting characters first? Was a shame for sure because we then get left with some fairly plain characters, which made it hard to root for them.

The biggest problem though was the gore, or lack of it. Usually I could care less about this, I mean I love a little claret and guts to be thrown around, but I won’t get bent out of shape it there isn’t any. The Hostel movies however are renowned for their gruesome death scenes. In Pt.3 though, the gore has been toned down considerably. Aside from one scene it is all rather tame, I mean a Hostel movie that cuts away at the killer moment? Really? What is shown though is decent enough when the practical effects are utilized, although there is the use of some fairly poor CGI here and there. We are treated to a couple of wacky camera angles, although not enough to put it in the Intruder or Evil Dead category.

Overall Hostel Pt.3 is a fun flick with several flaws, and I guess the lack of suitable carnage being quite a severe one. As a movie I will watch it again as I am a fan of the series, even if I can’t help but feel that it is a step back for the franchise. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t anywhere near the class of terrible sequels that I have seen, it just isn’t quite up where it should be. Oh, and please don’t get me started on the logistics of the ending.

If you go into Hostel Pt.3 not expecting too much I think you will get a lot more enjoyment out of it rather than if you have high hopes for it. Above average, for a sequel, but not by too much.

Hostel Pt.3 is released on DVD and Digital Download by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on December 27th