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Update On The Descent 2 and It's Not Looking Good

by Kevin Powers
May 2, 2008
Source: Cinematical

When I learned that a sequel to 2006's The Descent was in the works, I was immediately excited - not because of continuing the story, per se, but because the original was just so good. But when I heard that Neil Marshall wouldn't be returning to direct, my enthusiasm withered. And with the plot details revealed today, I'd have to say that even my interest is waning at this point. Cinematical brings us a number of interesting details, which if you've seen the original brings about a number of disappointing realizations. Warning: the are some spoilers below if you're ready to continue.

First up is that sole survivor Sarah (Shauna MacDonald) will be returning. That seems logical, since she did get out (at least in the US version). But apparently Juno (Natalie Mendoza) will be reprising her role as well. Wait, what? Last we saw Juno she was dealing with a pickax through her thigh and a dozen cave-dwelling albino critters bearing down on her. So how exactly does she escape?

Put that aside and let's move onto the next weird point. Apparently Sarah is "forced back into the system of caves she battled her way out of in the first film, in a bid to locate the rest of her group." So maybe Sarah rescues Juno; but that doesn't make sense either, since Sarah drove off in a frenzy and Juno surely would have been cave-kill by the time she returned. But why in the hell would Sarah go back? We witnessed everyone else die, and Juno was surely a goner. And judging from Sarah's crazy-eyed sprint, I find it hard to believe she'd go back for anything, much less a home-wrecking bohemian.

Writer James Watkins certainly has his work cut out for him. But I can't say anything he's done prior leaves room for encouragement. Making it worse, the sequel marks John Harris' directorial debut. All considered, this smells of bastardizing something that was great in order to make the quick, cliche Hollywood buck. Not to hate on these guys, but the Descent isn't positioned for some half-assed extension. And if you're at all cued into to the original, you know in the UK version no one got out of the cave. Good luck taking the sequel overseas, then.

Given that The Descent is still one of my all-time favorites, this is pretty disappointing news. What are your thoughts?

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

Spider

I'm with you too Kevin. This news is not encouraging at all. It's starting to look like a straight to DVD release. I guess we'll see.
http://www.thatmoviesite.com Jeff Warner

I agree... this is not looking good at all. I loved the first one, but I just think this is unnecessary. It may be better if Neil Marshall were directing, or even writing, but he doing neither. There is no way Juno could have lived so this is just all dumb... and I prefer the British ending so as far as I'm concerned, no one survived!
http://9thsf-igc.com SHANE D

Didn't see the first. ................... I don't think I will watch the trailer for Descent 2
Davor

First one sucked anyway who cars about the second one
http://www.myspace.com/brianriccimodelidiot Brian Ricci

Please. No..
kdr

The first movie was great. I have to say it is one of the best horror movies I've seen in a very long time. What I'm reading about this though doesn't seem to aw inspiring. I agree if that is going to be the story line there are a lot of kinks to work out big time. Personally I think they should just let the movie be, there is no call or need for a sequel in anyway. There are those sequels where they put different people in a similar situation (Hills Have Eyes II or example), but I don't think this movie could even prosper from a sequel like that. So yea, leave it alone, let it be.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

First one amazing. It seems kind of fake though because ANYONE who saw the first would realize that this would NEVER have happened.
Djo.

Having not seen the first movie, I can only assume it's a veiled reference to going down on a girl. The actresses are pretty - pit them against more baddie nasties, turn down the theatre lights, and watch the popcorn fly. God I love America.
jason_md2020

Descent 2? God why!?!? In the UK version she goes nuts and doesn't leave the cave. In the US version she goes nuts in the car. Either way There's NO WAY to come back from that level of crazy. Then need to just leave this be.
PRO STYLE

It is rare to see any second movies to be great. I thought The Descent was an awesome movie. Was it me or did you notice the movie turn from realism and seriousness to a resident evil type stunt action movie with all of the crazy ninja style movies and action scenes to kill the crawlers? Even with that, it was an awesome movie regardless but I doubt that Juno will be able to survive the onslaught of crawlers with a pick axe in her leg. This is where the movie is set to some crazy moves that Juno will bust out and kill them all, unless shes got some weapon that we didnt know about that could stun/kill them all or a hole in the floor is where she will jump into-who knows lol. Scare the crap outta you ending- I thought that with the running scared vibe at the end of the movie, there would be one of those crawlers sitting in the back of Juno's Bronco but it was only a part where she goes crazy, seeing juno stare at her when she looks up. That would have gave me a heart attack if I saw a crawler sitting in that passenger seat or get up to attack her. Wouldnt you be freaked out? I know you will say that the crawlers are super agressive and that would've happened or the car was not possible for their lack of eyesight but they do hunt on the surface and kill hundreds of animals. Notice how Juno saw the bloody hand dragging handmarks when everything was normal in the beginning? Wouldnt a normal person notify a friend of it for hoo has? There must be a plot twist or something special that we dont know about. Go ahead, see the movie.. You may or may not be disappointed. If you are highly disappointed, then think about how great The Descent 1 was and how it cant be replicated again. What do you think of these ideas? Thanks
http://Yahoo.Com ANNiE

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Alex

The first was definitely a neat film in terms of originality and i never thought it was a dream sequence at all and instead a hallucination brought on by Sarah's escaping while being in a panic induced state of shock as is evidenced when suddenly she see's Juno sitting in next to her in the vehicle. I really can't see her going back to that cave at all after her experience and being in such a state of mind much less with police officers let alone anyone else, but on the other hand rather than complain about it.. i am actually looking forward to a sequel, which hopefully will at least have a similar atmosphere and some authoritative figures surely looking to encounter a crime scene in disbelief of mutated denizens while suddenly finding themselves overwhelmed by a nightmarish onslaught. Its survival of the fittest and surely a popcorn wrencher if you ask me.
Rattlehead

Well , the fact that Neil Marshall isn't directing the sequel is of no real disappointment to me. Seeing as the Descent was his only good movie anyway.[Doomsday? Gimme a break.]. But judging by the plot this is gonna be a very poor excuse for a sequel. Lets face it , anytime a great horror movie comes out , sequels hardly do the original justice.[Aliens being the exception. Just the 2nd that is]. So as disappointing as it is to read , it really comes as no shock to me. I'll see it out of sheer stupid curiosity but I have no intentions of walking out of the theater[Unless it makes it straight to dvd] with any expectations met. I long for the day the a sequel to modern day horror/sci-fi movie surpasses the 1st one by way more than i could ever imagine. I'd even settle to be met halfway on those expectations , but I won't hold my breath.
chris

sarah killed them all. the crawlers only existed in her head. the descent was infact her descent into madness at the loss of her daughter.
Hermosa

IM SO READY FOR THE DESCENT 2 TO BE RELEASHED IN THE US!!! I LOVED THE FIRST ONE. THERE IS ACTUALLY A HORROR MOVIE WITH A FEW FEMALES WHO CAN REALLY KICK ASS!! i WANT TO KNOW HOW JUNO DOES THE DAMN THING WITH THE CRAWLERS ON HER ASS IN PART 1. I NEVER LIKE PART 2 IN MOVIES BECAUSE AFTER AWHILE ITS STARTS TO LOOK UNREAL AND A WASTE OF MONEY. I HOPE PART 2 OF THE DESCENT PROVES ME WRONG!! I HAVE MY MONEY READY FOR THE THEATRE AS SOON AS IT'S RELEASED IN THE MOVIES!
Eric

Well, I loved the first one. It was nice to see a female cast that where nobody tripped and twisted their ankle. The idea of a sequel is intriguing if it's done right. In certainly can't be worse than something like Blair Witch. Jeepers Creepers had a sequel and the first one left questions unanswered. As did the sequel actually. However, there is potential for the sequel to do well. Look at Hostel. Most would say one was better than the other, but neither of them sucked. So it can be done. As for Juno. Well, once they figured out that as long as they stayed quiet they'd be ok, you'd think that it would be put into use. However, we did hear her scream, which isn't how you keep from being attacked. I'm actually interested in seeing how they pull that off. But for all we know, her reprising her role might be just a memory in the mind of the lone survivor. That has yet to be seen. So, I'd say that the sequel does have some shoes to fill but I wouldn't count the new director out. Just as we gave the original a chance, we should give the sequel a chance. After all, even if it doesn't equal or surpass the first one, it should still be better than some of the sequels that we've seen so far.
da

fuck you asshole, descent rocks