Gangsters, Guns & Zombies

I was looking forward to see this UK zombedy. Comedy coming out of the UK is mostly always big fun. Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009), Doghouse (2009) were fun but sadly this one here I can't add to that list. It all looked so well from the start but the further you move into this flick the worser it get.

The funny parts just doesn't work and adding a bit of romance made it all boring too. The first minutes did work when a bunch of gangsters are confronted with zombies but after a while we do see the same again and again. The acting was mediocre. Things what should be funny (the part with the grandma and stepdaughter) wasn't funny at all. I must say that some shots were nicely done like the camera added on a gun while shooting a zombie looked great and even reminded me of The Evil dead (1981). What bothered me the most was the use of CGI for blood in some shots.

When the end credits are running you can see that they had fun making this flick, sadly it wasn't funny for the viewer. It did had all elements to make it absurd but it never did. It's like the title says, it's about gangsters, they do use guns and sometimes there are zombies running around and attacking but the cohesion between the three wasn't there.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 1/5

Having just robbed a bank six men are in the process of getting away when a zombie outbreak occurs and dramatically changes their immediate plans. Since one of their members has been shot the leader of the group named "Tony" (Huggy Leaver) makes the decision to take their wounded comrade to the hospital. Unfortunately, the zombie outbreak has devastated that area and so they are forced to bring him back into the van and continue driving. Yet even though their vehicle takes them outside of the city limits they continue to see the havoc brought on by zombies well into the countryside. And with fatigue and lack of food and fuel beginning to become an issue they soon realize that they desperately need to make it to their safehouse soon. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that for an ultra low-budget project this film turned out to be somewhat of a surprise. For starters, I thought that the plot was adequately suspenseful and the acting reasonably solid. Additionally, unlike so many low-budget films today, the director (Matthew Mitchell) decided not to take the easy route and make something "so bad it's good" and tried to produce something a bit better instead. To that end, the humor and dialogue wasn't nearly as crude. On the flip side, however, the audio wasn't as sharp as it could have been and the extras (used predominately as "the zombies") lacked the necessary makeup which really hurt the film as a whole. That being said, while I admired the manner in which the director used the scant resources available, the flaws were too noticeable to be ignored and for that reason I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

...DON'T BOTHER. A rubbish, not-even-student-grade film. Apparently, given its only synopsis here which seems to be written by one of its overly enthusiastic and underly talented 'creators', it hopes to ride on the coat-tails of 70s B schlockers. Even if you enjoy badly done crap as a source of humor, don't waste your time. It's even more boring and banal than it is amateurish.

I can't believe I wasted even these last five minutes of my life reviewing this. All I can say is, I watched this so that YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

Now making up this timewaster's undeserved but obligatory

Ten

Lines

Of Text.. Done.

This is not a real review, it should be taken more as a collection of impressions on the film.

B series horror film that fully embodies the concept of a bad zombie film because it's ok that the film is very low budget but this film demonstrates that the real problem is not the lack of money but the lack of talent of both the actors and the screenwriters and even the director's, because a pen and a brain to write at least a coherent screenplay cost absolutely nothing. The film is also excessively long and this is very boring, then it is true that in some points it is so poorly made that it even makes you laugh, but this involuntary comedy perhaps makes the film even worse.

Briefly said, a van full of bank robbers have their getaway complicated by the oncoming zombie holocaust.

This movie was a pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting a B movie. Especially since I found the title on a list of 'B' thrillers. What I found was a very well done flick that fit my mood to a tee.

First thing to note is this is clearly in Guy Ritchie style (as in Lock Stock or Snatch). Now there is a fine line between cheap knock off, spoof and tribute. It mostly depends on how faithfully a style is recreated and it's underlying quality. The Ritchie style hits you right from the opening credits. Slick graphic credits interrupting brisk action sequences while the protagonist narrates, followed up by a by a cast of stereotypical British gangsters, each introduced by the narrator. It's a good imitation and I rate it a tribute. If you aren't fond of Rithchie's style you won't like this one either.

I found the characters amusing, original and endearing (you gotta love grandma). Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality. Direction, cinematography, acting, writing, sound all above par. Well, one exception. If you are making a zombie movie, it might be judicious to employ the services of a make-up artist. Or, at the very least, insist that your extras pay a visit to the local costume shop at their own expense.

It would be easy to criticize the finale which seems more like a cast party than a conclusion. But, think about it, there's only one end to a zombie flick. The zombies kill everyone. Isn't that what's meant by Apocalypse?

If you took the trouble to search for this title, the answer is "Yes". Well worth a look see.