Film Review: The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)

After the release of the first Human Centipede film (reviewed here), I was quite looking forward to the sequel. But the more I started to hear about it (sandpaper masturbation, a barbed wire rape scene - which thankfully never made it in) the more I started to think it was just going to be shocking for shocking's sake. And, for the most part I was right.

The plot at least was quite original though. Martin (Laurence R. Harvey, in his film debut) is a disturbed loner who works in a parking garage in London. Inspired (and also aroused) by the events of the original Human Centipede film, he decides to start abducting people to take the centipede to the next level: 12 people.

At the same time, he's having problems with his Mother (Vivien Bridson), who blames Martin for his fathers incarceration and is having him see a doctor (Bill Hutchens) for his obvious mental problems. This part of the plot is pretty disposable though, other than to shoehorn in a couple of terribly cliched characters.

With the exception of the lead, the cast are utterly dreadful. Harvey is spectacularly creepy, however as the short, fat, bug-eyed loner. It's his performance alone that at times lends credibility to the film, but the ridiculous plot writer/director Tom Six has devised this time overshadows that before long.

Things just get dumber and dumber as the film progresses. The original had a lot of dark humour, but it kept itself "medically accurate" at least, lending a bit of realism to the affair. But 'Full Sequence', just gets more and more OTT as time goes on, especially when it comes to making the centipede itself.

And it most definitely is shocking for shocking's sake. The inclusion of a pregnant woman as one of Martin's centipede is totally unnecessary and just results in an absolutely disgusting and equally pointless scene near the end.

A saving grace for the film is that it was shot in black and white, which helps with the more gruesome scenes. Still not entirely sure why it was shot this way, but it must have been something to do with getting the film passed in different countries, regardless of what Tom Six may say. But when it came to the scene involving laxatives (told you it was stupid), I was grateful for the lack of colour.

As we all know, the film was banned in the U.K. until it was passed with over 3 minutes worth of cuts to it. Regular readers of this blog will know my opinions on censorship all too well (short version: ban a film, or release it uncut, there should be no middle ground) but the big question is - did the Human Centipede II deserve to be banned?

And I would have to answer in the negative. It's just too stupid and over the top to be taken seriously, even with the outrageous shocking moments. A film like Martyrs can shock and make you think (and that film was released uncut in this country), but the Human Centipede II really has nothing to say other than "Eww look at THIS!".

Tom Six already has the third and final film lined up (Final Sequence, to be filmed in America), and already promises to make this look like a Disney film. I can only assume there will be no attempt at a plot at all.

**
Incredibly creepy lead actor and the odd legitimately disgusting moment aside, this is a rather puerile attempt to outdo the original film. Needlessly offensive in places, but most of all, so damn stupid you can't take it seriously.