22 minutes
IF anyone thought the Hundred Acre Wood was all about honey pots and bouncing Tiggers, think again. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 dives back into this twisted universe with a vengeance, delivering a sequel that outdoes its predecessor in every gruesome way possible. This film is not just a slasher, it is a riotous romp through nightmarish childhood memories.
An over-the-top sequel
This film promises bloodshed from the get-go, and boy, does it deliver. Pooh is not just a honey-loving bear anymore, he is a honey-loving bear with a vendetta. Alongside him, a homicidal Piglet, a sinister Tigger and a menacing Owl make up a cast of characters that are as entertaining as they are terrifying. If the audience came to watch a murderous bear, they get that and so much more. Like, seriously, there is a lot of murder.
While the first instalment set the stage for this morbid reimagining of A.A. Milne’s classic tales, Blood and Honey 2 takes the trashy sequel crown and wears it proudly. The plot is wilder, the kills are crazier, and the twists are more jaw-dropping than ever. The filmmakers threw caution to the wind and decided to have a blast making the most over-the-top sequel imaginable and it works.
Twisted humour
The film cleverly weaves in nods to the original stories, while also delving deeper into the characters’ dark pasts. Christopher Robin’s journey from the hunted to the hunter is both compelling and absurdly entertaining. Scott Chambers delivers a standout performance as Robin, capturing the desperation and absurdity of his character’s situation with poise.
What sets this film apart is its unapologetic embrace of its absurdity. Yes, it is a horror movie, but it is also a comedy of errors where even the most gruesome scenes are punctuated with moments of hilarity. Whether it is Pooh’s deadpan delivery or the sheer audacity of some of the kills, there is a twisted sense of humour running through the film that keeps the audience laughing even as they are cringing.
Gore fans rejoice
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is a film that knows exactly what it is, a gloriously trashy sequel that revels in its absurdity. It is a movie that demands to be watched with a group of friends, some snacks, and a willingness to suspend disbelief. Sure, it will not win any awards for subtlety or nuance, but that is not the point of the film. The audience comes for a murderous bear, and they get that in spades, along with a murderous Tigger, Piglet and Owl to boot. Stop thinking about it, grab the honey pot and prepare for a wild ride through the Hundred Acre Wood as nobody has ever imagined it before.
DIRECTOR: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
CAST: Scott Chambers, Ryan Oliva, Lewis Santer, Marcus Massey, Eddy MacKenzie
E-VALUE: 5
ACTING: 6
PLOT: 4
