'Wolf Creek 2' suffers some of the similar problems seen in other horror movie franchises. Like in the later 'Nightmare on Elm Street' films, too much focus is placed on the antagonist, causing the film to lose quite a bit of suspense and tension. In the first 'Wolf Creek', released nearly a decade ago, John Jarratt's Mick Taylor was an enigma to the audience. He didn't make an appearance until nearly halfway through the film, and even then we had no idea what his deal was until he started torturing and murdering the main characters. In the sequel, Mick has been turned into much more of a comedic antihero, with there being a large emphasis on Mick and his pun-laden one-liners, which kills off a bit of the mystery and edginess that defined the first film.
Likewise, this leads to Mick's victims being that little less relatable and sympathetic, as we are much more familiar with Mick than we are with them.
Like the original, 'Wolf Creek 2' is obviously not for the faint of heart, with the gore and sadistic violence being ramped up. The film's car chases and fright scenes are all the more elaborate and effective due to an obvious budget increase. This much more polished look obviously removes a bit of the grindhouse aesthetic present in the preceding film, however makes up for it in terms of sheer scale.
On the whole, 'Wolf Creek 2' is still quite an intense thrill-ride, and one worth checking out, especially if you enjoyed the first. Unfortunately, the creative team's decision to spend more time with Mick and less with the unfortunate tourists who encounter him deprives the film of what could have made it a superior sequel.
