A group of friends looking for something different to do after a night out on Bourbon Street decide to explore a swamp with other tourists, unaware of the dangers lurking in the woods and the legend of a hatchet-wielding killer. "Hatchet" (2006) attempts to blend horror and comedy like "Man-Thing" (2005), “Wrong Turn,” “Friday the 13th,” and “Club Dread” (2004). Unfortunately, it doesn't quite measure up. The acting and technical aspects are decent; the gore, special effects, and swamp sets are acceptable, though the appearance of the monster feels a bit like something from a cartoon. While there are moments that elicit some amusement, the film is brought down by an excessive amount of raunchiness right from the beginning. For example, two female characters repeatedly expose their breasts during the first thirty minutes. This isn't a matter of being overly sensitive; it’s simply an indication of a movie trying to distract from its shortcomings with gratuitous nudity. The heroine, portrayed by Amara Zaragoza, is engaging, but she lacks conventional sex appeal – though that’s subjective. The film might have been more enjoyable if the story had been stronger and the humor sharper, but it falls short in those areas. The plot has potential, but the script needed further development. However, with a budget of only $1.5 million—nearly six times less than “Club Dread”—such improvements would require additional resources. Kane Hodder takes on the role of the antagonist reminiscent of Jason Voorhees, and Robert Englund makes an appearance in the opening scene. The film's runtime is 1 hour and 24 minutes, with a longer cut adding another nine minutes. Filming took place in New Orleans (for Mardi Gras scenes), while the swamp sequences were created using a convincing set at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, California. GRADE: C-/D+

Source on TMDB