I'm not sure I got it the first time, but 'Rovdyr' is partly an ode to the magnificent 'The Texas chain saw massacre'. The fact that this one takes place in 1974 (the year that 'The Texas...' was released) is just one little hint. Then, there's four friends in a Volkswagen van, a roadside gas station, and plenty of other similarities.But 'Rovdyr' isn't a total rip-off. It does its own thing, in Norway, with a good cast (leading lady Henriette Bruusgaard is a voluptuous feast for the eyes), and plenty of fine horror moments, deep inside the woods. It's all pretty straightforward stuff, but with enough wit, surprises and bloody gore for any fan of the genre. The '70s atmosphere wasn't all that apparent to me, but it hardly makes any difference to me. The set of bushwhackers that our protagonists are confronted with is an adequately brutal bunch. The ending is nicely grim, as it should, and again in part an ode to that one movie I mentioned before.A small 8 out of 10.

I'm all for films paying homage to other 'genre-defining' movies, however 'Manhunt' doesn't so much as pay homage to its predecessors like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Wrong Turn, as completely rip them off.It's about a foursome of young students who go into the mountains, only to be picked off by various redneck hunters. There's nothing wrong with that as a premise, but only if it's done in an original or slightly different way. However, it's just not. Manhunt is basically every other film of that genre, just set in a different country (oh, and there's subtitles for those of you who don't like non-English speaking films).Unfortunately, some of the teens being stalked are completely unlikeable, one man even going as far as to practically terrorise his girlfriend and physically abuse her BEFORE the rednecks even get them. With characters like that, you can hardly work up much sympathy when they're murdered by the (real) baddies. And those we are supposed to like are just too stupid to relate to. When being hunted they never stop giving away their position by screaming for their separated friends.Also, the film adheres to every slasher cliché in the book: chased through woods. Check. Rednecks. Check. Camper van and hitchhiker. Check. And so on.We're never told anything about the redneck hunters and their motives. They don't even speak, leaving us to wonder why they're doing what they do.Apart from the gore (which is very good/brutal, depending on what you like) and the cinematography (which is also nicely shot, creating a bleak and brooding atmosphere with the use of colour pallet), Manhunt will never be a classic. Just a rip-off that offers nothing new. I know I've slated it here, but actually it's not that bad. It's only real flaw is how totally unoriginal it is. Pity.

Four young people travel by van through the forest grown inland of Norway in 1974.During their stay at a gas station frightened girl asks them for a lift.The driver agrees without hesitation.Bad choice!Soon the entire group is hunted and systematically murdered in the deep Norwegian woods by three crazed rednecks.I'm a big fan of backwoods survival horror and "Rovdyr" doesn't disappoint.The violence comes thick and fast and is brutal.The film is surely influenced by "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre","Rituals" and "Deliverance",but the pace is fast and the acting is strong.The look of "Rovdyr" captures well the backwoods terror cinema of 70's.So if you want your horror fast and furious then "Backwoods" delivers the gore in spades.9 out of 10.

The movie received great reviews here in Norway, and I was looking forwards to seeing it. Being a Norwegian production, I guess the critics put on their patriot pants, because this is not that great a movie.The story we've seen before. Some young people gets captured, are hunted, with blood and gore following in ample amounts. The only thing that differentiates this movie from its many siblings is the betrayal within the group, and the charters being somewhat interesting and real. They lack depth thought, and are quite frankly not that well played or presented.The biggest exception to this is the villains, and their behavior. Without giving any spoilers, let me just say they are a bit to evil and cold. A tad more insight into them would make the movie allot more interesting.What does deserve praise is the visual side of the movie, with the effects especially in mind. The movie is well shot, and really drags you into it by virtue of this. The effects look so real it's frightening. So frightening in fact, that it is one of the movies greatest flaws. It's just too much. Now, I'm not a very gentle soul, and enjoy the odd horror movie without problems, but this movie is not that enjoyable. That said, I'm sure if I went hunting moose this autumn, I'd probably not sleep very well having seen it. Ugly, scary and outright ultra-voilent? Yes. Exciting, interesting and progressive? No.