OVERALL RATING :

Scare Factor
  

Actors
  

Set Design
  

Length
  

RAW SCORE : 9.563

RATING

REVIEW

This is the kind of haunt I’ve been hoping for all season: intense, smart, and not just scary but borderline traumatizing. Brutal Planet uses darkness and space in exciting way, saturating their rooms with actors to ensure every patron gets a scare. Yet, the actors aren’t the key to the scariness. Creative theatric tricks, constant motion, and an attention to detail make this haunt an incredible experience.  I felt like every single sense was assaulted, and loved every single minute of it.

The basic theme of Brutal Planet revolves around a research lab gone awry that essentially creates zombies, and while they don’t stick tightly to that theme, their zombies are awesome. This house masters the use of he use of strobes, fog, and darkness but takes it one step further by adding great actors in amazing costumes that are just about the scariest thing I can imagine in that situation. I loved the way they reinvented jump out and say boo style scares by anticipating and playing with my expectations. Whether it was a one-two combo of actors or a foul smell followed by a gross scene, I was consistently impressed (and surprised and scared) by the thought that went into this house.

Ultimately, I think this house is so good, I don’t want to give away a single secret. It was imaginative, overwhelming, and well,,, just plain haunting. As any great haunt should, this one left me shaking for some time after I left. Ah, who am I kidding? I’m still a little freaked by what I saw.

PROS

Scary, inventive, what can I say but great for everyone except those who don’t like haunts

CONS

I wanted them to commit to the zombie theme because I love zombies and this kind of amazing haunt focused on a theme like that would bring my nightmares to life

RATING

REVIEW

Wow! Brutal Planet really stepped it up this year and I really enjoyed myself. It delivered such a punch that our team couldn't stop raving about it...even as we stood in the pouring rain discussing it afterwards.

The premise is that an industrial corporation has had some sort of accident and that has caused people to turn into zombies, which have now taken over. They took that theme and ran with it! Every inch of Brutal Planet was filled with zombies, texture, horrific sights, and/or putrid smells. From the obligatory safety video to the final decontamination room I really felt like I was in a place overrun with strange beings. The old standby of having to walk through body bags was ramped up to include furry bits of god-knows-what to buckets, to human heads! I have never been so afraid to touch anything as I was here! We had to crawl, duck, squeeze, and run all the way through. Many of the effects were simple in their brilliance (or brilliant in their simplicity) and SO effective! I was only slightly disappointed in the fact that many of the actors merely said, "Raahr!" at us, but their timing and placement was unbelievably effective, which more than accounted for the scare factor!

This year's Brutal Planet seemed to be a return to the "good ol' days" where I would leave the haunt feeling dirty, cold, battered, and bruised. They definitely put the brutal back in Brutal Planet...and I couldn't be happier.

PROS

Consistent theme, awesome sets, total immersion

CONS

Actors need more lines than, "Raahr!"

RATING

REVIEW

I think the “most improved” award this year should go to Brutal Planet. They really took it up a notch and explored their creativity by focusing on the darkness much more. The suspense they deliver is top dollar and while their effects and props are not completely original, they have follow through and timing that really competes with the best. I recommend, to get the best experience, that you be in the front of your group, as I was. I got nailed so many times by the actors in this one, I really felt my adrenaline rushing afterwards. My only gripe was that the theme was a little inconsistent as it started out with a de-contamination/zombie atmosphere and then just followed into a pit of weird creepiness. Almost every room is creepy beyond the average haunt with well timed scares and gruesome bloody props. I find that a lot of haunts are too well lit or use too many black lights and neon paint that ultimately is really distracting to me. In here, it is what you can’t see but know is there that really gets you.  The length of this haunt too is perfect – I left very satisfied. Some honorable mentions include the alien children room, the mannequin occult room, the room with really creative strobes that mimic a static TV effect on your eyes, buckets and hair hanging in your face, and of course the metallic shiny strobe room towards the end. The beginning of this haunt is also creative as you are “prepped” for the haunt. At the end of the day, if you feel your blood rushing and heart beating after walking through a haunt, then you know it was worth it – this one certainly is.

PROS

Very effective scare tactics – be first in your group

CONS

Inconsistent theme, cost of admission to park

RATING

REVIEW

Oh BOY, this was a good one! From beginning to end it was consistent with the genetic experiment gone wrong theme. It is difficult to write a review that keeps all the good scares secret. There is a great ‘make-ya-jump’ right at the beginning, and from there on it just keeps rolling.

The sets and props were great, as were the costumes and make up. There were several rooms that had amazing over the top textures; there were odors that made the environment so believable. The use of fog and strobes was perfect, and the performers here knew what they were doing. Still some of the old stand by “RARGH”  but not too many. The creativity put into this haunt is a real treat. There are several scares that come at you from totally unexpected places.

I’d like to go through this one a few more times to get the experience of it from all angles. The performers did a great job of getting everyone in the group, the end of the line was not left out of the scares, as sometimes happens. I walked out of there grateful not to be a mutated zombie’s dinner.

PROS

Saw some ideas I had not seen yet, overall just awesome

CONS

Had too much fun to complain

RATING

REVIEW

What can I say??? AWESOME!!

Brutal Planet was very close to being the intense shock-rocker it was in years past and I loved it!! From the very first room where our group was given instructions, to the mind twisting end, Brutal Planet delivered!

The toxic spill/zombies theme is popular this year, and this is what Brutal Planet has gone with. They did not stick with that theme well with the exception of a couple of rooms, but what they lacked in theme, they made up for with intense in your face shocks! This was more reminiscent of a warehouse gone mad, not an industrial spill gone zombie, but it worked!

The creativity was amazing, and there were scares coming from every angle when you least expected them! It is difficult to describe without giving away every jolt, but there were rooms that I’m still turning around in my head. Some of the best rooms were: Flesh filled areas, heads in the dark, child/alien room, smells coming from the refrigerator and the contents of it, fog/laser room, blue fog room, industrial suits, the bucket room, and many spaces that left you feeling pretty claustrophobic.

The actors in the haunt delivered a non-stop, in your face experience that just wouldn’t let up! The guy that throws sparks in a unique way was off the hook!

This haunt is pricey as you have to pay for park admission as well as admission to the haunt. It would be better if they offered a nominal gate admission if you only want to see the haunts, that way more people could afford to go and see it. If you have a season pass this is a haunt that has to be seen to be believed!!

PROS

Extreme actors, amazing sets, great length

CONS

Price, some areas lacked detail, could see ceiling of theater throughout

RATING

REVIEW

This haunt was so amazing. I loved every minute that I spent stuck inside. There are so many great things to say about Brutal Planet. I felt like they really did their homework when they made this haunt. They passed my test a perfect score. The theme did stray at points, but the wall to wall scares were great. Every room we went into there was something going on and the actors were in you face. The best part is the beginning of the haunt. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what you think. But your hint is POW! Anyhow I loved it. This haunt was so great, because it totally set the bar for all other haunts and I hope to see more of them next year!

PROS

Great sets, wonderful actors and sweet scares

CONS

Strayed away from the theme

RATING

REVIEW

This haunted house rocked!  It almost encompassed a perfect haunt.  The only flaw I experienced was with the actors.  While they generated a lot of scares from me, they could have been more interactive with their audience, but as it was they were excellent.  This haunt had a lot of props that I haven't seen yet, as well as some good old favorites.  It was just totally action packed, and I can't recall a room in this haunt that sucked.  They really utilized strobe lights, darkness, loud banging noises, and smells really well.  It seems like they used a lot of props that "fly" or "come" at you really fast.  For instance, the flying neon head, or the guy that slid on the ground towards us.  A lot of the props were sick too, like the skin and hair hanging from the ceiling, or the cat in the fridge.  I also like how this haunt wasn't a straight walk through.  They used stairs, places where you had to duck under stuff, and just maneuver through small spaces.  The alien room scared the crap out of me with the little guy started moving towards me.  The mirror room with the strobes was also awesome because you really couldn't see anything!  I also have to say that it started off on the right track from the very beginning with the video...I thoroughly enjoyed this haunt.  Excellent job!

PROS

It rocked!

CONS

Acting could use a little work

RATING

REVIEW

When I left this haunt I felt a strong sense of relief as my mind reeled from what it had just seen. The theme is something along the lines of a zombie research facility and it is filled with my favorite haunt elements. Strobes, fog, strange lighting and lots of darkness are the building blocks for what make Brutal Planet a highlight of my haunting season. You’ll get your briefing at the beginning, but even still you won’t be prepared for what’s to come.

I was really impressed with how disorienting the special effects and set design were. It was hard to tell where you were going, which way to go next and what might be lurking nearby. I loved the simple twists on usual themes and how well executed each scare was. Things fell from above, heads floated in space, actors hid in plain site and yet I had no idea where they were coming from, the temperature seemed to change from room to room, the element of surprise was used just as effectively as character portrayals and I constantly felt unsure of my next step.

My critiques are few, but I would have loved to see the theme take more shape throughout the haunt. It was evident, but not always clear and I felt at times it was a stretch to believe the closet and showers made sense inside the research facility. That said this was an excellent haunted house with scenes that made my skin crawl and impressed me with their ingenuity and execution. The final room was totally unexpected and brought the theme to a satisfying close. If you make it to Elitch’s before the end of the season, do not miss Brutal Planet.

PROS

Set design, strobes, ingenuity, great acting!

CONS

Theme could have been executed on more strongly