No one is safe in Wolf Creek 2.
Tourists, locals, authorities - John Jarratt's pig-shooting killer does not play favourites in the sequel to the 2005 Aussie horror flick.
The first Wolf Creek film was so terrifying because it felt possible. It felt like there could be a Mick Taylor out there in the expansive Australian desert. Ivan Milat was real; Bradley Murdoch was real.
It was also because there was an undercurrent to Wolf Creek, an uneasy tension that carried on for a large chunk of the film. You knew this happy holiday was building to something horrific and were unsure of what this chuckling Mick character was capable of.
In the sequel, director and co-writer Greg Mclean (who penned the original) knew he could not do the same thing and play on suspense, and rightly so. Instead, we know who Mick is, so he is already hunting coppers, blowing victims' heads off and cracking jokes in the first 10 minutes.
Let just say Mclean once again happily pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable to watch, with glee.
The trade-off for this funnier, more absurd and action-packed sequel is a loss of some of that realism and fear factor.
Gore-seekers, however, will be delighted at the number of head counts, as Mick's universe opens up to include his road trips and creepy lair.
The truck and car chases are fast-paced and include a bizarrely funny roadkill scene.
Despite the substantial gap between the 2005 film and this one, Jarratt appears to have not aged and brings Mick back to screen with gusto. In this cat-and-mouse game between Mick and Ryan Corr's "pommy bastard" Paul, it's unnerving to see just how much fun the killer gets out of stalking and torturing his prey.
Corr meanwhile, makes a valiant effort - running, pleading, screaming. It's exhausting to watch, let alone do.
A good stab at a sequel, it might not be as scary but Wolf Creek 2 is big on gore, chases and dark humour. Fans of the original will find it's an entirely different beast.
* Wolf Creek 2 releases in Australian cinemas on February 20
