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Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (2008)
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Movie Review by Chris
October 12th, 2008
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'Rest Stop 2' kinda changes around the normal sequel procedure, where most people enjoy the first film in a series or set rather then the second movie, or the sequel. I enjoyed 'Rest Stop 2' far more then I enjoyed Rest Stop, there are plenty of reasons why but this film is far from being excellent or even good for that matter. Its ok, it is on a lower budget and borrows a lot of ideas which we've seen before, elements from films like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel, which are three movies most horror films base their plots on. There arent many changes between this and the first Rest Stop, but I felt as if 'Rest Stop 2' had a much faster pace and evenly created a better film, not to much better though. We still have bland acting, one dimensional characters and to much is borrowed from other films.
A year ago, young lovers Nicole and Jess (Julie Mond and Joey Mendicino) ran away from home and have yet to return, prompting Jess's brother and his friends to set out on a sweeping search for the couple. What the friends don't bargain for is a run-in with a murderous madman. The crazed psycho, it seems, might well be responsible for the disappearances of Nicole and Jess -- and could potentially become the catalyst for their own undoing.
Richard Tillman plays as Jess's older brother Tom, who had just returned home from the Army, a Corporal. He has 10 days of freedom before he must return back for another tour, but he chooses to take these 10 days and go with his girlfriend and best friend to find his brother. Richard played in a few films such as Superhero Movie and Over Her Dead Body, but this seems like one of his first really major roles. He is ok, one of the better actors in this film, which trust me, itsnt saying much at all. Obviously, he should be kinda upset or hurt over the dissapearence of his brother, but the emotions are lost inside Tillman's performance, because besides screaming and yelling, he has no emotions. His character and story couldve set up so much plot and made the character more real and complex, but nope.
Tom's girlfriend Marilyn is a drunk, or shall I say loves to drink. At the party when Tom returns home she is seen with a beer in her hand and throughout shes drinking, this sets up some pretty funny jokes between the characters but this isnt a comedy film so I wouldnt worry about them. She has the worst perforamance and should win something for it, maybe a slap to the face or something. I know dialogue isnt made up from her or whatever, but she says some of the stupidest things I have ever heard. I want to see if you can find some of these things and get back to me. By far, my favorite actor and character in the whole movie is Graham Norris as Jared, Tom's best friend. Marilyn hates his guts, nobody knows why, maybe because he is obsessed over Nicole? Maybe? I dont know. Well Jared is a complete nerd which everybody has a friend like, but he is funny and some of the situations get him into some deep sh*t. (Youll get that joke if you see the movie.)
In the first movie, we were introduced to a bus scenario where this driver guy took his victims to an old and abandoned bus and tortured them. There is a lot more torture here and it really hurts us to see what they did to people. in 'Rest Stop 2', there is far more torture and we get more insight on the bus scenario. There is actually a tunnel under the bus where The Driver keeps his victims, who are alive, but this was never thought about in the first movie. 'Rest Stop 2' has a lot more violence and it looks better, but it comes late in the movie. I dont want to spoil the ending or anything but lets jst say it makes more of a visual impact then the original ending did. There is also a lot more exploring and stuff into the fact that most of the people we see are ghosts, but I dont want to ruin that either.
'Rest Stop 2' is more violent and intense then the original, but it still fails under the fact that the acting is terrible and its still a little choppy at the edges, its pointless fun though.
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