Violent Shit 4.0: Karl the Butcher vs. Axe

Director(s) - Timo Rose (Lord of the Undead, Barricade) and Andreas Schnaas (Violent Shit, Violent Shit II)
Starring - Andreas Schnaas, Timo Rose, and Magdalena Kalley (Necronos, La Petite Mort)
Release Date - 2010
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Karl is back"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Here we are.  We are finally at the end of the Violent Shit series.  After watching the first two films I lost all hope for the remainder of the series but Violent Shit III changed that.  It was still a rough film with a lot of flaws but the overall film was very entertaining.  This gave me hope that part four would be as good as part three.  I did not expect that it would be as good as it was.  The story is even more bold than the previous film but it actually looks like the film had a budget, regardless of how small it is, and Schnaas was actually able to hire actors.  Violent Shit 4.0: Karl the Butcher vs. Axe was a vast improvement over how the series started and I'm glad I actually stuck with the series.

     The film follows Karl the Butcher (Schnaas) who has been in hell for 25 years when he is released to kill a new serial killer that is making a name for himself.  The world has become a wasteland and survivors have formed factions to fight other gangs to survive while the serial killer Axe and his sister roam the land trying to survive.  When Karl finally meets Axe he realizes that he is not an adversary but a family member.  When the gangs throughout the land learn that Karl and Axe have teamed up they put their differences aside combat them both.

     Wow.  Honestly, this is all I have to say about what I just witnessed.  This film is unlike the previous three films in the series.  In fact, if Rose and Schnaas could have made this movie be a stand along film without using the Violent Shit title.  The film was a huge departure from the three films previously.  The acting in this one is one of the best acting in the whole series.  The cast had some memorable characters to work with and they did a great job bringing those characters to life.  Don't get me wrong.  The acting is great but there is plenty of room for improvement.  The story for this one was not what I was expecting it.  It blends together Violent Shit with Mad Max which I am all for.  The introduction of the wasteland and violent gang activity meeting Karl the Butcher as he is released from Hell is fantastic.  The film rarely has a dull moment but it does have several unnecessary scenes.  If the editing was a little tighter the film's story would flow a hell of a lot better.  Finally, this one is full of over the top kills.  These kills mostly use decent practical effects but a few were ruined with the use of CGI and visual effects.  The series has done a tremendous job at boasting impressive practical effects only to tarnish their legacy in the best film of series with cheap CGI.  Overall, Violent Shit 4.0 is a must.  If you watch any film in the series make it 4.0.  You will not be let down.