Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Anatomy 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Does this blade needs resharpened?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 23, 2013

Nothing is incurable.

“We can rebuild him. We have the technology. Better...stronger...faster." Wait, isn't that from The Six Million Dollar Man, the old show about a guy with bionic implants and sudden superhuman abilities? Yes, but it's also the premise for Anatomy 2, a sequel largely in-name-only to the Cult favorite Anatomy, the story of a young medical student with dreams of making a difference who unearthed a nefarious network of rogue doctors bent on rewriting the Hippocratic Oath to their own liking, or at the very extreme, ignoring it altogether. The original was a fun, if not fairly superfluous, little Slasher. The sequel, however, takes on a completely different tone, giving up, largely, on the Slasher/Stalker/Horror elements and instead building a story of an idealistic young doctor who succumbs to the dark side only to turn and battle for the forces of good by the end. Other than the name, the German origins, and the returns of the Anti-Hippocratics, Anatomy 2 is more a standalone film than it is a true sequel. Fortunately, it's a decently entertaining, though mostly forgettable, little romp into the darker side of medicine and the place of advanced medical technology in modern society.

...until it has conquered the world! Bwahahahahaha!

Joachim Hauser (Barnaby Metschurat) is an idealistic young doctor who is leaving the comfortable confines of small-town Duisburg for big-city Berlin. His family has a history of muscular Dystrophy and it's his hope to work with the leading doctor in the field, Charles Müller-LaRousse (Herbert Knaup). Hauser works hard and is finally invited into the Doctor's inner circle. What that means, however, is surrendering his idealism in favor of joining the Anti-Hippocratics, a secret, rogue group that works to advance medical science at all costs, ethics be damned. Hauser learns that the group has agreed to artificial implants that promise to make subjects significantly stronger. Hauser, a star soccer player in his day, takes calf implants that substantially up his game. However, the deeper he falls into Müller-LaRousse's Anti-Hippocratic group, the more he becomes disillusioned, forcing him to choose between what is right and what may be beneficial to the scientific community.

Anatomy 2 actually seems to fit the criteria for a story within the Anatomy universe more than the original. The film takes viewers inside the world of the Anti-Hippocratics rather than explore the group's shady workings only from the outside and up against the periphery. Whereas the first film built itself up as a Hack-and-Slasher, the second film enjoys more of an exploratory vibe as it further lifts the veil on the series' villainy and without the added burden of satisfying core Horror audiences. Anatomy 2 is probably better classified as a chilling Drama rather than Horror, then. The core story is really quite fascinating, exploring -- though not always to satisfaction -- the dangers of corruption on the individual and group level when working outside the confines of the human body's natural limits. It's sort of like the "God" complex that's sometimes associated with some in the medical profession, but here realized beyond the inner being and manifested in the physical. It's an interesting tale and one that might have deserved even less in the way of action and more in the way of pure dramatic storytelling, but for the most part Director Stefan Ruzowitzky, returning from the first film to helm the second, finds a quality balance between action and drama that should please audiences on either end of the spectrum, but perhaps not absolutely satisfy either.

Though the nuts-and-bolts plot elements prove well above average, the execution sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. The picture starts strongly with a fairly convincing rush-rush, adrenaline-boosted sequence that depicts Jo's hard life as a doctor always on call and the lengths to which he will go to show loyalty but, above that, save a life and work for the benefit of the greater good, not for himself. When he makes the turn to join the Anti-Hippocratics, his desire to better the world is superseded by his own personal pursuits. The film begins to wobble, sometimes a bit, sometimes substantially, not on core message but in tone and execution. It goes from serious and dark to sometimes buoyant and even silly, bogged down by bland action rather than further exploring the tight drama. And as the first film devolved from an intriguing thriller to a general Slasher, so too does Anatomy 2 shift from a dark Drama to a fairly routine Chase film. Still, there's more overall dramatic heft here, but the change in style might push away those who favored the first film's Horror elements above all else.

Anatomy 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Anatomy 2's Blu-ray transfer looks a good deal better than Anatomy. Gone is the excess edge enhancement; rather than destroying most every scene, it's very light and sporadic here. Grain is also not quite as pronounced, but the image never takes on that undesirable "scrubbed" appearance. On the contrary, details are quite nice, revealing positive skin and clothing textures while capturing with some sharpness and good clarity the many diverse backgrounds in the film, from bright hospital rooms to dark rooftops. Color balance is fine, with a good primary palette that never bleeds, fades to excess, or appears too bright. Red scrubs and blue hospital sheets look particularly good. Black levels are stable, and flesh tones appear natural. This isn't a showstopper transfer, but it's rock-solid for a cheap catalogue release of a smaller movie.

Anatomy 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unlike Anatomy, Anatomy 2's sole lossless option is the original German presentation, here offered in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 variety. However, there is no English dub track. English subtitles, then, are forced. Selecting either of the optional subtitle options displays two sets on the screen simultaneously, one on the top and the other at the bottom. The German lossless soundtrack is of good quality. It's well balanced and suitably aggressive, yielding, at the same time, solid clarity and placement. Musical delivery is average; it's well spaced and flows easily into the stage. There are a few good little added effects, such as positive and spacious dialogue reverberation throughout a fairly empty lecture hall. Bass, when the low end really kicks in, hits hard and rumbles deep with no excess rattling. Dialogue plays clearly and firmly from the center. This is a fine all-around track from Mill Creek/Sony.

Anatomy 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Anatomy 2 contains no supplemental content.

Anatomy 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anatomy 2 is in many -- even most -- ways a completely different animal than its predecessor. It's the classic "sequel in name only," a movie that changes tone, alters style, and drifts away from the Slasher routine in favor of a story with a bit more dramatic oomph. In some ways it's superior to the original, not as stylish but certainly more dramatically satisfying. On the other hand, fans expecting more of the same will be disappointed, and likely doubly so given that Anatomy star Franka Potente returns only for an all-too-brief cameo rather than to play a significant role in the film. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Anatomy 2 features decent video and audio. No extras are included. Recommended for purchase at a bargain price.