Plot: What’s it about?
Joachim Hauser (Barnaby Metschurat) is a young, dedicated intern, a man who has a sincere desire to make an impact in his field. He doesn’t mind working hard or getting his hands dirty either, as he is determined to achieve his career goals. When he takes a position at a prominent Berlin hospital, he sees it as a chance to elevate his work. This is because the hospital is home to Prof. Muller-LaRousse (Herbert Knaup), a legend in the field who has assembled a crack team of the finest interns in the business. If he could somehow become a part of that unit, his chances of success would skyrocket. After all, Muller-LaRousse’s interns are part of some cutting edge projects, the kind of work that lands in medical journals, wins grants, and above all else, provides valuable service to those in need. This is just what Joachim has dreamed of and now, it is all within his grasp. He does manage to land a position on Muller-LaRousse’s staff of interns, which has him on pins & needles, but determined to prove his worthiness. The team is hard at work on synthetic muscle tests, but the work is beyond all that Joachim has imagined. The interns have used methods that violate the doctor’s code, not to mention the laws of man & nature. Can he do what is right, or with success so close, will he look the other way to achieve his dreams?
Anatomy was a dark horse success, a horror movie that arrived with little fanfare, but soon generated a lot of positive word of mouth. As such, it was inevitable that a sequel would follow and now we have Anatomy 2. This is not the usual sequel, as it doesn’t continue the main storyline from Anatomy, though the subject matter and tone remain the same. The ever gorgeous Franke Potente (Run Lola Run, Blow) returns, but not in a prominent part and in truth, her role here is little more than an extended cameo. I know a lot of folks bash mindless, slasher horror movies, but in this case, that should have been the route taken. Instead, the film tries to be refined and make the audience think, but with failed results. The tension is decent, but the writing is weak and the cast is less than impressive. These folks might have been better with a more basic, slash ’em up type of script, one with less demands. I love a good, well written cerebral horror movie, but when a film tries and fails, it is ten times worse than a bad mindless slasher. At least those movies know what they are, whereas Anatomy 2 seems to think it deserves to be the horror equivalent of Citizen Kane, which is a real joke. If you’re a hardcore horror fan, then this is worth a rental, but for others, I wouldn’t even bother with this sequel.
Video: How does it look?
Anatomy 2 is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. Columbia has issued a superb visual effort here, one which captures the film’s visual scheme and lets it shine. The print is in great condition, with no grain to mention and only a few minor, isolated nicks. The movie has a metallic visual tone, so colors have that tinge, but it is intentional. The hues look great though, with vivid reds and deep greens, so no worries there. I found the contrast to be up to snuff also, with rich and consistent black levels throughout. So even in the darker scenes, all the needed visual data is clear and visible. All in all, another great new release transfer from Columbia that should please fans, no doubt about it.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original German language soundtrack is preserved here, but the Dolby Digital 5.1 option isn’t that memorable. The track is well crafted in terms of the basics, but there isn’t much razzle dazzle in the presentation. I don’t need a ton of surround presence, but I do like some kind of creative use of the speakers. This material seems to have some solid potential too, but it is ignored most of the time in favor of a decent, but bland design. A touch of subtle, eerie surround use could have enhanced suspense and tension in numerous scenes, but alas, that wasn’t to be in this case. I do think the audio is passable in all respects, but it could have been so much better, with a little more care in its execution. The dialogue is smooth throughout, with no signs of errors to report. This disc also includes Spanish and Portuguese language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Thai, and Chinese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc has some cool extras, starting off with an audio commentary track with director Stefan Ruzowitzky and star Barnaby Metschurat. The comments are in German, but Columbia has subtitled the session, a most welcome move. It is kind of awkward at first, but after a while, the subtitles will be second nature. The track is a decent one, but fails to be that insightful and drags on at times. A selection of deleted scenes is next, which offers optional audio comments, or you can opt for video commentary, a cool inclusion. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, some still photos & promotional artwork, talent files, screen tests on three scenes, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
