How you feel about both WOLFCOP films will probably be determined by your view on horror-comedy in general. Another factor will be how you feel about going big or going home style of comedy. The comedy in this film is far from subtle. That is why most of it misses for me. The effects however, and the filmmaking craft are decent. The first WOLFCOP film is slightly better to me, and slightly more of a horror movie. In the first film, the whole lycanthropy and body horror concept was there. This sequel follows along the lines of HAPPY DEATH DAY TO 2U, where there is less horror because the concept has all ready been done. Blend together a werewolf film, a Troma film, specifically a Troma sequel, with a dash of an Astron-6 film and this is what you get.
Synopsis: Alcoholic werewolf cop Lou Garou springs into action when an eccentric businessman with evil intentions seduces Woodhaven's residents with a new brewery and hockey team.
In typical sequel fashion the film wastes no time showing off the Wolfcop's killing abilities. He takes on a few men in a getaway truck ripping them apart. The filmmaking craft is great here, and throughout the whole movie. There is great use of dark red and green lighting, similar to the lighting in a Joe Begos film. The Wolfcop has become a cult celebrity in the town of Woodhaven, so much so that stores are selling merch of him. Tina Walsh (Amy Matysio), the local sheriff, is annoyed with the Wolfcop for not being more subtle and for eating too many donuts.
Leo Fafard returns as Lou Garou/The Wolfcop in this film
The Troma aspect of this film comes in the form of entrepreneur, Sydney Swallows (Yannick Bisson) who wants to build a new hockey stadium and sell a new beer there. Of course there are ulterior motives to this. Very much out of a Troma film where the alien life form wants to use alcohol to create mutants. Kevin Smith showing up as the Mayor only adds to the Troma feel. The Astorn-6 aspect of this film is in the costuming and tone. This feels like superhero a movie at times merged with a horror film. The Wolfcop costume is like something out of POWER RANGERS. The superhero feel is made more prevalent by Frank, a cybernetic supervillain made by Swallows who has a big fight with the Wolfcop at the local strip club. Also, an aspect I enjoyed was the "moon meth" that gives the Wolfcop increased strength. Willie's sister, Kat (Sara Higgins) has a rock from the moon that is continually used to help the Wolfcop heal and gives him increased strength.
Kevin Smith shows up uncredited in this film playing Woodhaven Mayor: Bubba Rich
The biggest aspect of this film that lets me down is the comedy. Some of the comedy is a bit too big for me. For example there is a werewolf/she-wolf sex scene in this movie. That completely misses for me. The alien mutant babies that people get when drinking the "chicken milk stout" again was too over the top for me. The effects work was more plastic than gory. Most films that have these kinds of mutation effects don't work for me though. It does work with Kuato in TOTAL RECALL, but most of the time mutant babies in horror or sci-fi movies don't work for me. There are some funny moments that made me chuckle though. When Lou and Willie (Jonathan Cherry) meet again for the first time, after Willie awakens from his coma they both scream at each other. For the most part I found Willie's mutant baby to be annoying, but Willie is trying to keep it hidden. In one scene at a bar the mutant keeps saying it wants beer and Willie is trying to keep it hidden from Lou and Kat. That got me to laugh. Lou and Tina seem to have this will they or won't they aspect to their relationship. Another funny part is when Willie naively talks about Lou having sex with his sister in front of Tina.
I will admit, the final sequence of this film was satisfying. Swallows debuts his beer with his new hockey team. Lou, Willie, Tina, and one of Tina's deputies, Daisy (Devery Jacobs) fight against Swallows, his henchwoman, Number Two (Kris "The Raven" Blackwell), as well as Swallows's hockey team. There are some fun gory moments. The Wolfcop uses hockey sticks to stab people as well as a scythe. Number Two has a fun moment where she faces off with the Wolfcop using guns mounted to a Zamboni.
While this film is hit or miss with me, Lowell Dean uses a seven figure budget well. The Troma similarities in tone, look, and humor may work better for some than it does for me. Lowell Dean also does a great job with the cinematography and colors throughout, even though this does have the low-budget warehouse look that a lot of films do when they say they are set in big cities. I'm going to have to give his post-apocalyptic film, SUPERGRID, a try at some point.
Rating: 5/10
Trivia: The hockey cheerleaders wear horn-rimmed glasses with masking tape on them. This could be a reference to the Hanson brothers in SLAP SHOT.
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