Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed – A Drunken Monkey Review

Alrighty. Let’s get on with Part Two. This was a nice refresher, as I haven’t seen this movie in quite a while. And by nice, I mean it was passably entertaining. Almost a waste of a cocktail.

Almost…

REMINDER: As my editor is taking the waters after that excursion to Pleasure Island with Coconut Pete, I will likely spill spoilers for this movie. But it’s twenty years old so…that sounds like a YOU problem.

YOU’RE INFECTED. NOW WHAT?

The basic premise of Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed is pretty simple. Bernadette has been infected with Wereginger’s blood. The changes are trying to force their way through so she must find a cure before the next full moon.

As in the first movie, Bernadette still has the homemade cure that she and Sam created for Ginger. It is keeping the beast inside her at bay but it’s pretty inconvenient, having to inject it all the time. Plus, she may be developing a resistance to it.

And, to my delight, Ginger is still here but in the form of a figment in B’s mind. Ginger consistently warns Bernadette about another werewolf roaming about that’s looking for her. What we don’t know until later is it’s not looking to kill Bernadette. It wants to mate with her.

After doing more research at the local bookstore, unfortunately, Bernadette passes out, just after the creature attacks some hapless guy who’s trying to hit on her. And when she wakes up, she’s in a rehab/psych hospital combo (budget cuts, amirite?) This does not bode well for our intrepid heroine. Her escape attempts are thwarted at every turn; the one male nurse takes advantage of…EVERYONE (except the pre-teen girl so thank the gods for small favors); and the councilors and nurses have no fucking clue what they’ve locked up inside with them.

For reasons unknown, the young girl, Ghost, fixates on Bernadette, and figures out she’s a werewolf. But she’s not scared. Instead, she vows to help B escape as soon as possible.

The problem is the young girl is fucking crazy. She set her grandma on fire, but she’s wrapped like a mummy from head to toe in the hospital and can’t communicate the danger they are all in because of Ghost. The girl flits about the hospital, finding secret nooks and crannies where she can go to spy on everyone, but never interferes with or bothers people. You know, except basically violating them and their trust.

She also likes to create comics of people she knows, drawing pictures to represent powers she’d like to give them to help them in life. This may be why she flies under everyone’s radar.

And in the end, she doesn’t help Bernadette at all but traps her in the basement of her grandma’s house then draws herself as a superhero with a wolf girl as her crime fighting partner or something. The final scene is hearing the doorbell ring and Ghost goes to see who’s paying her a visit.

Uh…wut?

THERE IS NO CURE. #SORRYNOTSORRY

While the second movie doesn’t really offer that much new or interesting, returning writer Karen Walton does offer some amusing moments. While I’m not sure if the original wolf tracking B is the one who wants to mate with her or it’s the book guy who hit on her before being attacked who is the horny beast, it was a nice addition to the violence. As if B didn’t have enough to fucking worry about… And as she’s fighting more and more with the wolf inside her, there’s a saucy little masturbation dream sequence that emphasizes the urgency of B’s predicament.

I think all the councilors and nurses and other patients were purposefully caricatures or overly simplistic stereotypes. It made it easier, and more desirable, to watch them become fodder. Ghost is really the only other character with a hidden depth and it made an enjoyable twist to find out she’s just nucking futs. I can appreciate a devil masquerading as an angelic child.

The pacing on this flick is also surprisingly good. I never felt like the story or action were dragging at any time, especially the halfway point where it’s most common. I didn’t feel like any filler was being force fed down our gullets just to pad the run time.

I love that Ginger is still a part of the show, sort of. Even though she’s in B’s mind, it feels like the sisters are fighting together again. That even in death (which I guess we’re supposed to assume Ginger is) there’s still such a strong bond between the sisters. Director Brett Sullivan really allows Emily Perkins (Bernadette) shine in this flick. And even the few moments Katherine Isabelle (Ginger) shows up, she’s still an undeniable force that drives B forward.

AT LEAST YOUR DEATH WILL BE ENTERTAINING. TO ME.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed is definitely not as fun a ride as the first film. Not a lot of metaphors going on or deeper meanings behind most actions or conversations. But it’s still entertaining for the most part. If you’re a completionist, which I can be, it’s not a waste of time in your pursuit to watch all three films. Might not feel as fresh as the first film, but it’s a fun ride.

Three margaritas out of five