One of those efficiently lazy sequels that by turns bores you to death and induces chuckles. Christopher Landon’s original was a sassy and savvy slasher movie, with a time-loop theme à la Groundhog Day and a campus setting.
He’s now got rid of writer Scott Lobdell and written the screenplay himself. Landon has art-house credentials but he’s not even flirting with danger in HDD2U. Though there’s a bit of slashing, it’s no longer suspenseful, scary or even slightly logical. The emphasis instead is on goofy sci-fi high jinks and (extremely conventional) matters of the heart.
We’re still on campus. Our heroine is still Tree (Jessica Rothe, perfect, even in a ridiculous bikini scene). She discovers that the time-looping from the first film was caused by a machine created by science geeks. Tree joins forces with the nerds to recalibrate said machine and steal it.
She commits suicide over and over again so she can choose between a figure from her past and cute beta male Carter (Israel Broussard). Will she pick Carter? The answer is never in doubt. Will ruthless diva Danielle (Rachel Matthews) help with the heist? The answer only makes sense if you know nothing about modern undergraduates.
Luckily, because the talented cast are so enthusiastic it’s impossible to feel cross. Matthews, in particular, has a ball in a scene that requires her to be clumsier than Inspector Clouseau. The ending lays the groundwork for a third instalment, in which the 26-year-old actress will apparently play a crucial part. If that movie does well, consider her career launched.
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