Ginger Snaps and Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed were very clever movies. This one, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning however lacks the dark humor and brains that the first two had. Although it is interesting to see this situation, as Ginger and Brigitte face the whole werewolf problem in the 19th century, without the benefits of the time ahead of them.
Ginger Fitzgerald (Katherine Isabelle) doesn't have the full attitude the Ginger from the first movie had. The sisters don't have that mysterious darkness that they had before, which is quite disappointing as it is what attracts you to the movie in the first place. The speech is strange... they will talk in a sort of old fashioned way, then start talking more modernly, and sometimes will swear, which makes it slightly less believable.
Although there are some great scenes this film, its only good if you are a fan of the Ginger Snaps series really. Otherwise this may seem just a long and boring hour and a half of snow, blood and one big fort. *6*
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
2004
Action / Drama / Horror / Thriller
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
2004
Action / Drama / Horror / Thriller
Plot summary
Set in 19th Century Canada, Brigette and her sister Ginger take refuge in a Traders' Fort which later becomes under siege by some savage werewolves. And an enigmatic Indian hunter decides to help the girls, but one of the girls has been bitten by a werewolf. Brigitte and Ginger may have no one to turn to but themselves.
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Lost Its Bite
Snappy werewolf siege flick
The third and final instalment of the GINGER SNAPS trilogy and also by far the best of the three films. Eschewing the teen angst and modern-day ponderings of the first two movies, GINGER SNAPS BACK posits itself as a sort-of prequel, telling virtually the same story but setting it in the 19th century and in a remote area of the Canadian wilderness.
The plot involves a remote outpost under siege, not dissimilar to THE ALAMO. The besiegers are werewolves. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, then I don't know what is, but I was hooked from the outset. There's still plenty of mileage to be had in the sisterly relationship between Ginger and Brigitte, and as in the first film their bond holds everything together.
Let's get this straight: this is a B-movie made on a low budget, although for the most part that budget is well hidden. The settings, from the wooden mini-fortress to the snowbound woodlands, are well shot and atmospheric, and the creature effects are the best of the whole series. The characters are all stereotypes, but fun with it: there's the fire-and-brimstone preacher, the grieving captain, the friendly Native American tracker, the elderly doctor, the hard-ass soldier. Guessing which of them is going to be the next to be bumped off is half of the fun.
The story plays out as you'd expect, building to an impressive and grisly climax in which the full horror of the situation becomes apparent. Yet it's that sweet, poignant central relationship that makes this film stand out above other similar fare. Katharine Isabelle may bag the more obvious role of the two sisters, but it's Emily Perkins who ends up as the most bewitching. Director Grant Harvey, a newcomer to the trilogy at this late stage, handles the elements remarkably. It's just a shame more B-movies don't have the imagination and strength that this film displays.
Promising premise for a prequel wasted
It's 1815, Brigette (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) are sisters wandering in the woods. Brigette steps on a bear trap, and they're rescued by Indian guide Hunter. He brings them into a Fort but finds the people there under siege by dark forces. They are surrounded by werewolves outside, and no one can truly be trusted inside.
I like this premise for a straight horror movie which is a change from the quirky horror original. It works for a little while but then the pace grinds down. Ginger is bitten way too early. The other characters don't get much of a chance to be compelling. The tension is never as high as it should be. The direction isn't as good and the action isn't as exciting. The promising premise is wasted.