Published 11:04 AM EDT May 16, 2014
Crocodile Dundee admittedly had a pretty large knife. Mick Taylor, however, boasts a knife, saw and rifle among his various terrifying torture tools plus a killer rendition of Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.
The true Wolf Creek story happened about two thousand kilometres from Wolfe Creek National Park, and not in Western Australia, but in the Northern Territory. On July 14, 2001, British tourists Peter Falconio (then 28) and Joanne Lees (who in October 2006 finally launched her book, the only true story!) travelled on the Stuart Highway from.
Played by John Jarratt, Mick returns as an Australian murderer who hunts down unsuspecting tourists in the Outback in Wolf Creek 2, writer/director Greg McLean's sequel to his 2005 indie film.
Mick's second go-round as a horror-movie villain has him haunting a young German couple who get lost while traveling around Wolf Creek National Park. A British surfer (Ryan Corr) comes along to save one-half of the couple, unfortunately drawing the ire of Mick in doing so.
The days of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger ruling scary movies is over, but here are six reasons why Mick should be your favorite new bad guy.
He's unstoppable. Like all great horror-movie villains, it's pretty much impossible to put the guy down and he is relentless in his pursuit, though what makes Mick seriously creepy is how seemingly normal he looks. For the sequel, McLean has smartly put his focus more on Mick than his victims — similar to how the filmmakers of Friday the 13th Part 2 back in the day figured out that Jason was the most interesting part of the franchise.
His sense of humor is top notch. Mick's always smiling and quick to laugh, though it belies the madman underneath the grin. His gallows humor is welcome when he's brutally attacking cops or those who stumble upon him in the desert.
He's got a couple of sweet rides. Mick's usually driving a pickup with pig parts in the back. That truck's got a lot of personality, but he's also not above leveling up his vehicles when he needs to. Not since Maximum Overdrive has a big rig been as deadly on the road as when Mick gets in the driver's seat. Also: He's not a big fan of 'kangaroo crossing' signs.
His masterful sideburns. You thought Hugh Jackman's Wolverine muttonchops were impressive? Mick's are a cut above and complement his plaid shirt and dirty hat. Creepy couture indeed.
He loves his country. There's a good reason Mick does what he does — at least his own mind — and it ties into his nationality. He is true-blue Australian to the core.
He's like the weird old guy next door. Though, to be fair, Mick's a lot more violent and has a tendency to keep captives — dead or otherwise — in an underground lair. To each their own.
Published 11:04 AM EDT May 16, 2014