I wish I could say that this was a terrible movie, because as far as I could tell from the advertisements, it really did seem like another carbon copy of “Cruel Intentions”, but when I was finished with this, I was wondering why it didn’t receive at least a limited release. At least. Because it deserved it. “Havoc” may not win any awards, that’d be doubtful, but it gets a gold star but really rising above its status and proves that not all films released directly to video are too poor to be in theaters. You often hear of people getting in to crime basically because of poor upbringing, bad influences, or attempts to make money, but the people here are just bored. They have nothing to do, they have no one to guide them, and they basically just lie around all day long and get high.

But the most interesting statement “Havoc” makes is that people, especially young people with pent up aggression, whom are bored in life with too much time on their hands are much more prone to violence and deviant activities. The group of young people focused on here, really have nothing better to do, so they try out the crime life. Just for kicks, but when they find out that playing with fire will get you burnt, they surely regret it. Anne Hathaway, formerly of really bad kid’s films, finally stars in a mature film giving a very strong performance as Allison, a gorgeous intelligent girl who seeks adventure, but in many ways fulfillment and ends up seeking it in the wrong avenues.

While being chronicled in a documentary by a student at school who rightly bears a fascination with her behavior, she becomes very infatuated with a group of Mexican gangsters, and once she sinks herself in to their world, she discovers it’s not a fantasy. Hathaway as well as Phillips has very good chemistry as two friends attempting a goal that they’re not even sure of the repercussions of. The writers draw the allusion that Emily is only there because she’s in love with Hathaway’s character, and Allison is there because she refuses to acknowledge that she’s not really alone in the world, that the only person she can confide in is the person she may be in love with. The clear message of the film is to never attempt to be something you aren't. And the grim finale really brings this into a league of its own.

I was able to step back and take a deeper look at “Havoc”. Why was it being so hyped? Well, mainly because Anne Hathaway is finally making grown-up movies, and she shows off her yaboes. Bijou Phillips plays the slut yet again, but Hathaway goes all grown-up and junk. I really only cared about the actual film, and not the fact that she shows off her goods, which many internet fan boys were salivating about. More reasons to find us gross. Either way, “Havoc” really breaks no ground that “Better Luck Tomorrow” didn’t. “Better Luck Tomorrow” is about privileged rich kids whom are so bored that they enter into crime and fail. “Havoc” is about—well, rich kids whom are so bored they enter into crime and fail. Except the cast was Asian then, and this is based around Caucasian teenagers whom all act obnoxiously like wiggers.

I won’t say the fact that this is a rip-off was the reason why it should remain a direct to video release, because there have been worse films given wide releases, but if you’re going to try to do something, do it as originally as possible, and if you’re going to rip something off, add your own little twist to it. White kids acting like hoods is not original, and this film is far from anything resembling original or innovative. Justin Lu’s “Better Luck Tomorrow” is a film that people can get behind, because it’s not only a great film, but it’s also an original twist on a concept done before. “Havoc” truly breaks no ground, and in simple terms, it’s another semi-crime film that won’t make much of a tide. And when the only notable asset you have in a film is an actresses boobs, well then, you may as well head back to the drawing board.

It's far from an original film seeming often blatantly like a take off of the more superior "Better Luck Tomorrow", but it's a strong film because of the strong performances, engrossing story, and grim message.

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