The first film was great.

Using Miike's "Audition" formula, Hostel showed me that Eli Roth knew what made great foreign torture/horror films great, and that he understood what American films of the same genre were lacking. A lighthearted, braindead script turned grim and amazing all at once, and the audience learns from the inside out what's happening. After the turning point I thought the script, acting, and direction were rich, and Roth even managed to put a bit of cultural commentary in there.

Also, kudos for the perfect Miike cameo.

Hostel II was awful.

The style was stupid, anticlimactic, boring, and as broodingly traditional as it gets. The gore was somehow much worse than its cheaper predecessor, and seemed almost comical and cartoonish...Eh, I could go on forever. I honestly don't know what Eli Roth was thinking. It makes me wonder if Hostel was accidently a great film.