Review: I DARED YOU! TRUTH OR DARE 5 (2017)
It’s hard to believe that it was thirty-one years ago in 1986 that Tim Ritter’s original TRUTH OR DARE: A CRITICAL MADNESS came out. And now with I DARED YOU! TRUTH OR DARE 5 he and co-director Scott Tepperman have gone back to the original for a direct sequel. Trying to recapture the past can be a risky undertaking, can they recapture the feel of the original?
The plot is relatively simple sounding, Daxton Hackman (Scott Tepperman DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT 2) is released from the asylum due to budget cuts and wished well by Doctor Hall (Jim O’Rear NIGHTBLADE), He blows off some steam by killing a hooker then commences with his plot to get revenge on Dan Hess (Joel D. Wynkoop DEATH-SCORT SERVICE, LYCANIMATOR) whom he blames for letting the original Coppermasked Madman, Mike Strauber escape. Facing off via a “Truth or Dare” website their no holds barred conflict leaves a trail of bodies on its way to a final showdown.
By now you pretty much know what to expect from these films, and I DARED YOU! TRUTH OR DARE 5 certainly delivers that. There’s plenty of scheming, double-crossing, blood and boobs on display. The dialogue is over the top and delivered by a cast of familiar faces that also includes Ashley Lynn Caputo (CANNIBAL CLAUS, CHAOS A.D.), Bob Glazier (AMERIKAN HOLOKAUST, TASTE ME: DEATH-
And that is both the film’s strongest and weakest points because by now it’s as much an exercise in nostalgia for the days of SOV horror as anything else. This was a great film to have a few cold ones and flashbacks to the VHS era with.
But after 30 years there’s no recreating the shock the original delivered. This is true of all franchises to a degree, but the TRUTH OR DARE films haven’t really tried to do much different either which makes it worse. I DARED YOU! TRUTH OR DARE 5 isn’t a bad film by any means but as the fifth chapter in the series, it has a seen it all before feeling for me. Those who are fresh to the TRUTH OR DARE franchise will, of course, feel differently.
Set to be released by Gatorblade Films in early 2018, I DARED YOU! TRUTH OR DARE 5 will satisfy viewers, just don’t expect anything new or groundbreaking.