(spoilers) In a time when teenage slasher mystery thrillers are in tremendous overabundance, the sequel to the fairly entertaining Urban Legend is fortunately not a complete failure. I watched Urban Legends: Final Cut with very low expectations, which were the result of having heard that the movie was terrible, as well as my growing belief that a quality film in this genre, especially a sequel, will probably never be created again. The magic of the movies can only go so far. However, I was surprised to find that this particular sequel did have its redeeming values, despite the fact that it has the same old Scooby Doo ending, with the killer finally revealing himself and basically saying that he would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for those pesky kids.

The film starts off on the set of a cheesy movie, which seems to take place during a drunken college party on an AIRPLANE (hence, `cheesy' movie). Luckily, this is revealed to be a movie within a movie, so it didn't really take away from the film as a whole, but Urban Legends: Final Cut definitely had its share of stupidity. The security guard, for example, who we remember from the first film, sure didn't seem to have learned anything from her past experiences. Not only do we find her dancing to Pam Grier films while HORROR movies are being made (the perfect setting for a murder to take place) but she also does she not believe the girl when she tells her that she saw a murder.

And don't even get me started on the killer. Until the killer is revealed at the end, he is exactly the same as the now-boring killers in countless other rip-off films – everything from I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Two Summers Ago to all of the Scream films, all of which `borrowed' this idea from John Carpenter's horror classic, Halloween. Seeing how Halloween was released about 23 years ago and has been ripped off in record numbers, I think that it's about time to come up with some different kind of villain. 007 movies always have these cool bad guys, but the teen thriller genre always recycles the now boring ‘guy in the mask' routine.

I didn't hate Urban Legends: Final Cut because there really were a few scenes in the film that actually worked. For example, the scene when all of the students were watching the rushes and they saw the blonde girl's murder was actually pretty effective, in my opinion. Also, the scene with the bathtub full of ice worked pretty well, despite its lack of originality. But despite the unoriginal bathtub, the removed kidney was also pretty good, and this even evokes a painful reaction from the audience as the killer yanks her back in through the window by grabbing onto the freshly sewn wound through which the kidney was removed. OUCH.

There was a lot of cheesy stuff in this movie, besides the tired inclusion of the mysterious killer. Much of the garbage is dumbly thrown into the dialogue in a number of wildly idiotic and clichéd lines – `This is my baby, baby.' `I won't let anything happen to you. I'll be there.' But the story was actually pretty good, at least some of it was. The twin brother for example, keeps the audience guessing more than the killer does, because by this point, anything else will command more interest than the old who's-the-killer mystery. It turns out that he was telling the truth, but for much of the film after his introduction, it is never really certain whether the twin was really a twin, or if he was the same guy, in which case he would probably be the killer.

The end of the film is punctuated by a very welcome cameo from Rebecca Gayheart, who should have played a substantial role in this film, given the way that the original film ended. This obviously wasn't done because everyone would know right away who the killer was, but there seems to be a rough transition between the two films because of this. All in all, Urban Legends: Final Cut is worth the time, but it is still not as good as the original, which was also not even that great. But don't be put off by low expectations, it's not THAT bad.

The sheer boringness of this movie hits me as I sit here and type out the lame, predictable plot. It's yet another predictable slasher fest which bears almost no resemblance to the first film, aside from a recurring character. Only one of the murders seems to actually have been based on an urban legend as well, so the ideas here are pretty loosely tied to the title. It seems to me that the recent frenzy for slasher films is on a downward spiral, what with this and the apparently awful SCREAM 3. Thankfully, I can't see much future in the genre as it now appears that all creativity and original ideas are completely dead... or so I hope. I just know that in all likelihood I'll be proved wrong.

Starting off with an amusing reversal of the audience's expectations which I didn't see coming, we immediately meet a group of supremely untalented actors and actresses who do their best to be either funny/weird or generally menacing, in order that they become one of the film's many red herrings. Fans of mystery cinema would be well to give this film a wide berth, as the whodunit aspect is overplayed as always and it's one of those films where the killer turns out to be a minor character with absolutely LUDICROUS motivation. The ending, where the killer explains their reasons for doing what they do, had people groaning audibly in the cinema I was in as it was just so trite. And so it goes on.

Aside from the group of nobody actors, where the acting skills range from passable to diabolical, and the clichéd plot and music, there's not really a lot else going on. Aside from one notable moment it's relatively gore-free too, although each of the different murders that occurs is particularly brutal in its own way, with characters getting bludgeoned repeatedly (with loud thunks on the soundtrack each time),painfully slashed with a straight-razor, or getting fried in electrics. Predictably the preferred method of weapon in the finale is the gun, which is another boring cop out.

There are a heck of a lot of influences in this film to catch. The sole notable gore scene seems to have the same kind of style and progression as the deaths did in FINAL DESTINATION, while in a post-BLAIR WITCH PROJECT world the film manages to drag in some running around in the woods too. I have to admit that the producers did experiment with a lot of different effects, from having the characters watching a real-life snuff movie in the film while being blissfully unaware of what they're watching (a quite good moment, I have to admit) to an underground ghost train ride which has the potential of being quite good but is ruined by chopping editing and laughable action.

This time the killer is predictably masked, with a fencing mask of all things. This may be the only original touch in the whole movie, the only thing that hasn't been done before. The characters are all severely grating and annoying, with some horrendous dialogue at some moments, where the script writers seem to be trying to make things as cheesy as they possibly can. I'm just sick and tired of these films with self-referential teens going on about previous films, with lots of in-jokes and "we're so clever" movie referencing. Just give it a rest.

The film's highlight, and sole reason to watch, occurs at the beginning so at least you won't have long to wait before switching off. It's a murder scene based on the urban legend of waking up in a bath full of ice and missing your kidney. This has absolutely no connection to any of the characters or events in the rest of the film, but hey, it's pretty cool so I'll forgive them for that.

I will only have spoilers in the last paragraph and I'll be warning everyone of them. Before that, let me point out that the movie overall seems to be more of a sequel in name only. Which does not have to be a bad thing. But if you expect this to continue to develop with survivors from the first one ... well don't.

While this has some interesting casting choices (and good ones at that),it does not reach the level the first one had. Its tongue in cheek vibe might also not be everyones cup of tea.

And onto the spoilers we go. Right from the start you get one of those scenes that I hate in movies. Not because it is a movie within a movie. Not even because it would have to be quite the elite film school to have equipment like that laying around. But because it makes no sense whatsoever. And yes I know most of the movie does not make sense. But showing us a final cut of a scene ... and then pretending it was a rehearsal or one take I reckon ... its beyond obnoxious. And then they go ahead and do the same for the second ending of the movie. You know the one after they dispose of the killer - sort of. Because he is back for the third ending. Something this movie shares with its predecessor that also had 3 endings. At least the third ending here seemed to be promising another sequel with an interesting storyline ... that never materialized. And even though I disliked quite a few things, I do think the movie has some merits to say the least. But you'll be the judge ... just hopefully not the executioner/teacher - pun maybe intended.