N.U.T.S 2

Picking up where the first film left off, the sequel is infinitely superior. In my mind the narrative is so firmly positioned as the stronger that Nuts 2 is without doubt one of the finer continuations ever made. That said: Nuts 2 is a requirement. Like any good story, the audience was left craving more last time around, and Red Wampa sufficiently expands the plot in such a way that it feels like an absolutely essential chapter to an eventful book. Not only for the (often horrific) war sequences: As a succinct successor to the first story: Nuts 2 often feels like a Part Two in reality.

Opening the film with a frankly brilliant and yet disturbing battle scene (that again includes the sort of off-screen murder inclined violence that the first film so aptly included) does Red Wampa all sorts of favours. For a start, it sets the tone of the sequel perfectly. The film movie is more of a personal affair, dealing with Character-based adventure revolving around a standard disequilibrium. But here, Red Wampa bridges the gap that told of the war and of King Gladimire’s fall, and is directed with an artistic level of panache that comforts the audience. In the wrong hands this could be a disaster, yet by this time Red has encouraged the audience to immerse themselves in this world. Therefore it seemed the wisest and most elegant choice to leave this narrative intricacy until later, and what a way to open a movie, especially a sequel. Doing everything a good continuation should do, it’s bigger and bolder, and most certainly more ambitious.

Red Wampa achieves a small miracle because he actually maintains this boldness. Nuts 2 feels like a sweeping majestic epic in places that seems very appropriate for the journey of the squirrels (who still retain their “adorable little shit” personas). The most obvious example of course is beginning their trek to the castle ruins. Above all, Red superbly matches musical suggestion to the visuals. The keynote song of the soundtrack, The Last Unicorn works collaboratively with wide open shots of forest and water, long pans across country tracking a lone bird mid-flight. The highlight of Red Wampa’s skill here works because (on a technical note) the action is timed immaculately. Specific details of action occur at the song’s brief build-up to chorus, and it just adds an auteur finery to the sequence that makes it all worthwhile and very, very entertaining. Everyone’s firm memory of this has probably maintained intact, when the squirrels are looking out for each other, most notably on the homemade log bridge over a ravine below. The sequence is finely tuned, and mixing with the attractive, catchy theme to accompany it works wonders for an otherwise potentially mediocre scene.

Mixing kid flick levels with the anticipation of an epic war movie, as a concept was dangerous to say the least. There’s no shortage of violence or imagery to suggest a darker overtone and indeed, where Nuts was a grim adventure film Nuts 2 is a relentless road movie that turns into a dark thriller, particularly at the end when our heroes finally reach the ruins of the city. Yet it is the appearance of the villain before it that increases our fears, and what a villain. Red doesn’t skimp on anger or hatred in any way, preferring to give us the real shock value. What stays with the audience is the mystery itself, a floating flashing orb driven by rage intent on manipulating his man army to do his dirty work. The animation helps out in this field, angles capturing only one side of the orb constantly; this adds to the refinement of the direction in the film and when the camera cuts back to the men makes the scene even darker. You can and will expect to see someone getting ripped apart in a fiendish explosion of blood and intestines. Hence the enormous relief when the invisible army return, an enormous highlight of the film and one hell of a way to close the movie. This again helps to lift the feel of the ending, as the previous sequence heralding the arrival at the ruins is strangely creepy, anticipation levels on a high thanks to the predictable reappearance of the dogs. And yet, the subtle curiosity about how a handful of fluffy critters managed to learn to fight with melee weapons, or how it is that men are hunting squirrels in the first instance is never answered. Of course squirrels have often proved a threat to our existence, however despite obvious plot holes and piss taking, Red Wampa still achieves what many regard as unachievable. He makes a sequel that’s better than the first film.

Undeniable proof of the power of the ‘2’ stamp, Red Wampa is a master of his craft; his second Nuts film both stylistic and exciting. Part cute and cuddly roadie adventure, part dark and nasty war thriller, this really should be a Part 2. Emotive, powerful and extremely watchable, and that goes without mentioning the wonderful HMC’s, of which I have taken absolutely no influences or references from whatsoever. Fittingly I’ll end the side-note of sarcasm by ending the review. Purely brilliant stuff, you’ll love it, and that’s a guarantee. You can quote me on that.