# Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)

### reviewed by
Shannon Patrick Sullivan

    URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT (2000) / *

Directed by John Ottman. Screenplay by Paul Harris Boardman & Scott Derrickson, based on characters created by Silvio Horta. Starring Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Loretta Devine. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated R by the MFCB. Reviewed on October 2nd, 2000.

    By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN

Two years ago, the original "Urban Legend" was a surprise, proving to be the most worthy of the litany of "Scream" rip-offs. Although by no means classic cinema, it was entertaining and boasted an entertaining premise, taking typical slasher-film shenanigans and dressing them up in the context of popular urban legends. Aided by good performances and energetic direction, "Urban Legend" turned out to be ideal popcorn fare.

Now comes the sequel of sorts, "Urban Legends: Final Cut". Instead of being a continuation of the first movie, this one is intended to be more of a thematic successor. Its events are inspired by the original, and only two characters carry over. Most notable is security guard Reese (Loretta Devine), now working at a university whose film students compete for the prestigious and lucrative Hitchcock Prize. One night, Reese encounters Amy Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison), who is casting about for a topic for her thesis film. Reese tells her about the events she endured at Pendleton in the original picture ("but that's just an urban legend," Amy protests in one of the more clever lines of dialogue) and this inspires Amy to make her own movie about a campus killer who bases his murders on urban myths. But as production gets under way, somebody seizes on the Pendleton "legend" in a far more literal manner, and begins killing film students in the same style.

Or, at least, that's what's supposed to be happening. But "Urban Legends" is so ineptly written by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson that the central motif is virtually forgotten about, or treated more as a crutch. Although Boardman and Derrickson go through the motions of dressing their murders up in "urban legend" style, this is largely just used as an irrelevant backdrop while the killings are carried out in typical slasher style. There is a startling dearth of imagination here: even the deaths, usually the high points of any movie of this genre, lack invention.

There is a similar lethargy to many of the other plot points. Characters are introduced who are so obviously intended to be potential suspects -- a rival movie director, a mysterious twin brother, an eccentric movie groupie -- that they deserve little flags. Having introduced such characters, Boardman and Derrickson make little effort to heighten the suspense by developing them further; they are pretty much just thrown out there, and it is expected that the viewer will generate his own mystery trying to figure out which one actually did it. "Urban Legends", though, is so thoroughly unengaging that there is no cause to contemplate such things; there are far greater mysteries, like why a studio would greenlight such a paltry, third-rate script.

"Urban Legends" has the feel almost of a serialised drama, with each incident happening seemingly in isolation. Characters appear just so that they can serve as the next victim. People die and are not mentioned again for huge stretches of time. The movie evokes the sense of filmmakers going through the motions -- murders and other scary incidents occur not because the plot demands it, but just to fill time. This is moviemaking at its most mechanical.

There is little in the way of characterisation to speak of, and few of the castmembers engender any interest or sympathy. The revelation that one character has a twin, for example, is completely defused by the fact that we knew nothing about the character in the first place. Morrison proves a poor successor to "Urban Legend's" spunky Alicia Witt -- not because she doesn't try, but simply because she is given no material to work with. Amy is a dull, monotonous character, and the filmmakers seem to assume that we will empathise with her simply because she's the main character, not because they have established her as somebody worthy of our interest.

Amongst the other characters, Devine is downright embarrassing as Reese, having apparently graduated from the "Police Academy" stable. Matthew Davis, who plays twins Travis and Trevor, is aimless in either role. Perhaps the biggest name actor, Joseph Lawrence (best known as the guy who says 'woah!' on "Blossom"), is confined to a forgettable one-note part.

John Ottman's direction is unremarkable and drops the ball more than once during action scenes, where the sequence of events is frequently confusing and difficult to discern. Certainly, Ottman does little to cultivate an atmosphere of suspense or terror. But then, there is precious little mystery anywhere in "Urban Legends" -- a particularly galling fact given that the film invokes such names as Hitchcock and Welles. It all comes to a head with the revelation of the killer, which is done so off-handedly and absurdly that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop (it never does).

Indeed, it was moments like this that made me wonder if "Urban Legends" was perhaps intended to be more a satire of slasher films than just a standard entry into the genre. But if that is the case, then it is a most incompetent effort, totally failing to illuminate any truths about slasher movies (except, perhaps, that they're all but exhausted) and instead wallowing in their most dubious cliches.

"Urban Legends: Final Cut" is, quite simply, badly made. The direction is hamfisted. The acting is without merit. The writing is on about the same level as that roomful of typewriter-endowed chimpanzees. It is amusing that the movie is set at a film school, because you have to wonder how much time its creators actually spent at one.

The only positive thing that can be said about "Urban Legends" is that, in the end, it could have been a lot worse. It is never actively terrible; it is just incredibly lazy, inducing more a sense of ennui than of critical revulsion. Nonetheless, it is yet another example of how the teen slasher genre is in desperate need of either fresh ideas or a long rest. Hopefully, this is indeed the 'final cut' for the "Urban Legend" mini-franchise.

Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/UrbanLegends.html

_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |

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