Common Sense Media Review
By Beth Pratt
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Don't waste your time.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Urban Legends: Final Cut
What's the Story?
This slasher sequel gets rolling when film student Amy (Jenny Morrison) chooses a horror film about urban legends for her final project. But a masked killer haunts the set, and, one by one, members of Amy's cast and crew are brutally murdered. The survivors must uncover the identity of the killer before it's too late.
Is It Any Good?
This repulsive film blatantly borrows from just about every popular horror movie that's come before. As Scary Movie demonstrated, spoofing tired plots and clichéd characters from the horror genre can be amusing. Unfortunately, these inexperienced actors take their shallow characters far too seriously and play them straight--which caused some teens to roar with laughter during some of the most "suspenseful" scenes. Cinema buffs will appreciate the many movie references, but many won't be amused by poorly executed respects paid to Hitchcock classics. A seventeen-year-old slasher movie fanatic groaned during the requisite killer confession scene. He and his girlfriend agreed that the character's motivation for brutally murdering so many people was "incredibly lame and unbelievable."
It's fairly obvious why the creators of Urban Legend would make a sequel: To capitalize on the success of the first movie and to push cinematic violence and gore to a new level. Whether or not they meet the first goal remains to be seen, but they can easily claim victory on the second point--even a seasoned horror movie fan hid her eyes during the revolting kidney-removal scene.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a good horror film. Does more gore always mean a better film, or can suspense be just as scary?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 26, 2001
- On DVD or streaming : June 26, 2001
- Cast : Eva Mendes , Jennifer Morrison , Matt Davis
- Director : John Ottman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language, and some sexuality
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
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