Amy (Jennifer Morrison) is a film student trying to get her film made. It will be centered around a bunch of murders that occur according to urban legends, this idea courtesy of the colorful character Reese (Loretta Devine) from the first film. As with all the "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Season of Your Choice" franchises, red herrings are thrown at the audience as the film crew begins dying.
I cannot discuss too many bothersome details because I had no idea who anyone was in the first fifteen minutes of the film. Amy looks like her leading lady, there is a seemingly unrelated murder that begins in a coat check room and ends up in a bathtub full of ice- I sat, sighed, and appreciated the pretty good direction and nothing more. Finally, the scares began to come together, as the film makers narrowed its suspects. I was actually appreciating some of the action, but the director and writers kept doing the same plot points all the contemporary slasher films have done: no one believes the protagonist, who can go from running from a psycho murderer to sitting quietly in a library and investigating clues on the computer in the next scene. The police are doltish, and I eventually did not care who lived or died because I could not stand the supporting characters myself. Even the urban legends used to illustrate the murders are half thought-out. Aside from someone waking up with their kidney missing, I never heard of the dead bodies in the carnival ride, or the midnight screaming that covers up a real murder. Am I that sheltered? The final revelation about the killer's identity would have been surprising if I had not figured it out half way through the film, and their motivation is completely bogus. I do not believe that the audience should be this much smarter than the film. Jennifer Morrison does an admirable job, considering the script, and she makes some smart moves once in a while. Ottman's direction is pretty smooth, despite the leaps in logic the script takes. The scene with the cascading buckets of prop guns is not funny or suspenseful, it is frustrating and convenient. The final twist, involving a cameo from someone from the equally unwatchable previous film, is probably the most clever thing about this film. Too bad Ottman could not keep this originality up for the preceding hour and a half.
I suggest "Urban Legends: Final Cut" be put back in the can.
Stats:
(2000) 97 min. (2/10)
-Directed by John Ottman
-Written by Paul Harris Boardman & Scott Derrickson, based on characters by Silvio Horta
-Cast: Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner, Loretta Devine, Joey Lawrence, Anson Mount, Eva Mendes, Jessica Cauffiel, Anthony Anderson, Michael Bacall, Marco Hofschneider, Derek Aasland, Jacinda Barrett
-(R)
-Media Viewed: Home Video
