A generic but not altogether unexciting film, Backwoods (not to be confused with "The Backwoods" with Gary Oldman, already reviewed on this site) is worth your time if you liked "Wrong Turn" and "The Hills Have Eyes."
The film concerns a group of seven computer programmers ("Final Destination 3"'s Ryan Merriman and Haylie Duff from "Napoleon Dynamite" among them) who venture into the wilderness for a corporate retreat weekend of paintball and leadership building. Unfortunately, it's not long before they're besieged by a clan of religious fanatics intent on killing the men and using the women for breeding.
As you can tell, the plot is hardly original, closely mirroring that of "Timber Falls," what with its group of probably inbred (this point is never made clear) religious fanatics. What this film doesn't have though is the gore of any of the three films mentioned. Instead, Backwoods is played more as a straight ahead thriller or a really tame horror movie, take your pick. Also dispiriting is the lackluster explanation of the villains. We don't get to see enough of them to really make an impact, and a subplot involving an underground lab of theirs goes completely unexplained to the point that one wonders why it is even included in the film. During these scenes, I kept asking myself when some semblance of explanation would come; it never did. While it is certainly disappointing that the film skimps on the gore and travels down a familiar path, all is not lost.
The film benefits from better than average performances, especially from the more well-known cast members. As the skeptic of the group, Ryan Merriman is intelligently likeable without being arrogant, a feat more difficult than it seems based on the number of films that make the smart characters unbearable know-it-alls. As one of the two women in the group, Haylie Duff is witty, sexy, and easy-going, lending her character more pizazz than is on the page as her character especially is sometimes woefully underwritten.
The action sequences are also worth mentioning. Director Marty Weiss ably films them, making do with what was obviously a fairly limited budget to bring some excitement and scope to the film.
Overall, Backwoods is worth seeing for the good performances. Just go in knowing that the storyline itself is something you've seen before and you'll enjoy the ride.
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