Ginger Snaps Back - The Beginning
by Grant Harvey
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Actor: Emily Perkins, Hugh Dillon, JR Bourne, Katharine Isabelle, Nathaniel ArcandDirector: Grant Harvey
Brand: Lions Gate
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 94 minutes
Published: 2004-09-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Reviews of Ginger Snaps Back - The Beginning
DVD Review: At a remote outpost 200 years ago the beast was unleashed
Summary: 4 Stars
"Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning:" completes, if that would be the word, the "Ginger Snaps" trilogy by going back almost two centuries to the point in time when the story of Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) first becomes interesting. At the start of the 19th century the northern frontier of Canada was still the province of the fur trappers. The opening titles of the film explain how furs would be taken back to civilization each year and then supplies for surviving the harsh winter would be brought back on the return journey. But in 1815 the men who went to one remote outpost never returned. Since we have seen the first two movies, we already know the "why."
Orphaned by the sinking of their boat on the river, Ginger and Brigitte are making their way on horse through the forest when they have an encounter with a prophetic Indian woman (Edna Rain) and a bear trap. Rescued by an Indian known only as the Hunter (Nathaniel Arcand), they are brought to the outpost, where the reception they receive is rather odd. Now, keep in mind that these two are the first white women that these men have seen in months and the guard who lets them in is slapped around for having let in strangers. When they see one of the girls has been wounded by the bear trap the first concern is that she has been bitten. Clearly the only people who do not know what is going on out in this neck of the woods are the Fitzgerald sisters. As the fanatical Reverend Gilbert (Hugh Dillon) tells them, "For two months this fort has been in the Devil's grip and you two little girls walk right through our front door."
I suspect the only reason the werewolves have not over run the traders fort is that they were waiting for the two sisters to show up so the movie could tell its story, but to be fair they are clearly quadrapeds. Eventually we learn something that puts the entire saga of the Fitzgerald sisters into a new perspective in terms of the supernatural nature of the "curse," but primarily the point of the film is to wait for Ginger to get bit and then see how it plays out this time around.
The setting of the traders fort deep in the woods is pretty impressive, especially at night when lit by torch lights (reminding me of my favorite scene in "The Last of the Mohicans" when Nathaniel leads his party into the besieged fort by torch light). The finale takes place at night and the best scene in the film is when the doors to the fort open and the end game plays out. But the men inside the fort are equally important because they are what makes the situation work here. These guys are not running around screaming and crying, but are grimly determined to survive and stilling holding out hope. Matthew Walker as Doc Murphy is particularly good and sets the proper tone for the festivities as we get to the inevitable last stand.
Ironically, the biggest problem with "Ginger Snaps Back" are the two leading actresses. Part of it is that they two sisters are so far out of their element this time that for much of the film they stand around and watch what is going on (and every time the Hunter shows up they are no longer the best looking people on screen), reacting to what others are doing. Then you can throw into the mix that they both look and sound too modern for the time and place. Most importantly, the bond between the sisters, which was stronger than death in the first two films, is assumed rather than truly felt, even at the climax when Brigitte warns the men: "We will be together. She will come back for me." Of course she will; that is the whole point here.
The special effects seem to be a slight improvement over the previous two efforts, but the "Ginger Snaps" movies have never been about special effects. If you had to judge this movie by the makeup on what is locked away in the room that Ginger discovers, then you would be less than impressed. But director Grant Harvey has spent the money on the right things and this is a pretty looking horror film. Another advantage of the series achieve cult status is that there are plenty of extras on the DVD.
In a world where horror movies franchise doing the same slicing and dicing over again with little imagination or variation the "Ginger Snaps" trilogy stands out. "Gingers Snaps: Unleash" (a.k.a. "Ginger Snaps 2" and "Ginger Snaps: The Sequel") is a much different film from "Ginger Snaps," and "Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning" (a.k.a. "Ginger Snaps 3," "Ginger Snaps III: The Beginning" and "Ginger Snaps: The Prequel") is different from those two (having three different sets of directors and writers can do that). Fans are going to disagree, perhaps vehemently, over which film is the best of the series and which the most disappointing. I liked all three for pretty much completely different reasons and the problems that each film has it of a different type as well. But you have to admit they have gone well beyond putting a twist on an idea of a young girl getting "the curse."
I would not count any of the "Ginger Snaps" movies as being truly great horror films, but whatever you think is the worst of the bunch I would argue is much better than the majority of horror films being turned out south of our northern border. All of these movies have legitimate bite, which is what you want in werewolf films. I have never finished any of these films feeling major regrets or mondo eye rolling the way I have with "Jeepers Creepers" and other recent horror film "hits."
Description of Ginger Snaps Back - The Beginning
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