Operation Undead

Initially I was thrilled to watch the 2024 Thai zombie movie "Operation Undead" from writer and director Kome Kongkiat Komesiri. Sure, I had never heard about it, but a movie that combines two of my favorite things, Asian movies and zombie movies, of course I needed no persuasion to check out the movie.

But my excitement was short-lived. While the concept behind the movie is interesting, the execution from script to screen just didn't work out all that well. This wasn't your average zombie movie, by any means, for better or worse. Writer and director Kome Kongkiat Komesiri took a gamble and opted to have zombies with memories and limited speech functions, and it just didn't tickle my interest. And it became a struggle to sit through the movie.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, which was something that spoke in favor of the movie. But the storyline just stood no chance, despite the fact that the acting performances in the movie were fair enough.

The special effects in the movie were also good, but again hardly mattered much as the storyline just brutally cut it short. Why would the eyes of the infected Thai people turn two different colors? That I just simply couldn't understand. It made zero sense.

"Operation Undead" was a disappointment to say the least, and it is not a movie that I was entertained by. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. If you are a zombie fan, check out writer and director Kome Kongkiat Komesiri's movie, you might just find some enjoyment here, despite me not doing so.

My rating of "Operation Undead" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

We have to keep in mind that this is an Asian zombie film, never really designed for a Western audience. It explores topics, beliefs, and practices that may feel unfamiliar - even confusing - to many viewers. One of the reasons I enjoy Asian zombie films is that nothing is sacred; they don't shy away from showing women or children being attacked, sometimes to a level of extreme gore that Western films rarely touch. Western zombie movies tend to romanticize the horror, but here, everyone is truly equal prey. And speaking of gore, this film delivers it in spades - blood, guts, torn limbs, and rotting flesh. You might want to choose your movie snacks carefully.

The zombies themselves are also different from what we're used to. I've always liked the way Asian horror films handle "the wake-up moment" of the undead, and this film uses a similar approach. But these zombies go further - they regain consciousness, fragments of memory, and even the ability to communicate, at least sporadically. Other times, they're just mindless creatures growling and munching on entrails. Interestingly, their intelligence is reflected in their eyes: the more intelligent ones have solid-colored eyes (where both color and iris size seem to matter), while the less intelligent have one red and one blue eye, making them look more comical than frightening. The idea of a "conscious zombie" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's an intriguing twist.

The runtime isn't very long, but honestly, a shorter cut might have worked better. The pacing swings wildly - some scenes are packed with action, while others drag to the point of being boring, far more than I expected after seeing the trailer. When the zombies spoke, it felt reminiscent of the apes in Planet of the Apes - though far less compelling. There's also a fair amount of filler content - scenes that seem there only to pad the runtime. And while the moment with one of the soldiers covering himself in mud felt like a fun nod to Schwarzenegger in Predator, it also felt a bit out of place. And what about the extreme flammability of zombies?

All that said, Operation Undead is still a fairly watchable movie, and if you're a devoted zombie-horror fan, I'd recommend giving it a try. Just remember: don't compare it too directly to Western zombie films. Asian horror has always leaned more heavily on spiritual and paranormal elements, even in creature features. Some Korean films, like Train to Busan, are more Western-oriented exceptions, but this Thai film takes a distinctly different approach - and that's part of what makes it unique.

After watching the movie, it's hard to shake off a certain sense of confusion and frustration, not just with the story, but also with how the film was put together. There's no denying that some aspects of the film had potential, but it was ultimately let down by its perplexing plot, questionable casting decisions, and an overall feeling that it couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be. It almost seems like the filmmakers were unsure whether they wanted to create an art film, a historical drama, or something else entirely. In the end, this indecision is one of the key reasons why the movie falls

Let's start with the positive aspects of the movie. One of the things that stood out was the quality of the makeup. The makeup team did a commendable job in transforming the actors to fit the roles they were playing. Creating a sense of realism in the battle scenes, or simply adding to the overall atmosphere of the movie, the makeup team clearly put in the effort, and it showed.

Similarly, the special effects were decent. While they weren't groundbreaking or revolutionary by any means, they were serviceable for the type of movie this was trying to be. The explosions, the visual atmosphere, and the fight scenes all had a certain level of polish that made them believable, even if they weren't spectacular. It's clear that the effects team knew what they were doing and delivered a solid product, but the problem lies in the fact that even good effects can't save a movie with a poor storyline.

Now, let's move on to what really drags this movie down: the story. It's hard to put into words just how strange and disjointed the plot feels. From the very beginning, it becomes apparent that the narrative lacks any real direction or purpose. The events that unfold on screen seem random at times, and the pacing is all over the place. One minute, you're watching what seems like an intense moment , and the next, you're left scratching your head, wondering what the point of a particular scene was.

The plot itself is a bizarre mix of history and fiction, with elements that seem almost nonsensical. For example, the film attempts to depict a period of Thai history where the country was struggling. While it's true that Thailand has faced hardships, the portrayal in the movie feels exaggerated and historically inaccurate. One of the biggest missteps was the idea that people in that era would be able to casually take photographs. In reality, photography was a luxury that few could afford, especially in poorer regions, making this aspect of the story feel forced and out of place. It's hard to immerse yourself in the film when basic historical facts seem to have been ignored.

About to leave for war, a small squadron of Thai soldiers in a remote village is suddenly inundated with a strange Japanese-made biological virus that raises the dead and brings them back to life, forcing the two sides to work together to stop the creatures from carrying out a deadly plan.

This was a massively enjoyable and entertaining effort with a lot to like about it. Among its better elements is a strong and impactful storyline that creates a series of effective storylines within here. The initial series of scenes here focusing on the exploits of the trop getting their first hints of life in military training with their rambunctious antics, childish pranks, and disrespect for authority before going into combat give us a great chance to get to know who they are and what type of life they're going to lead once the war is over. That it only briefly touches on the actual war itself, with the first combat bringing them into contact with the zombies on the outskirts of the storyline, manages to offer up a realistic enough connection to human events to allow for an intriguing gateway into this universe. From there, the film spends a great deal of time offering up the kind of insight and treatment into the zombies that's rarely afforded by most other movies. Given their backstory as an agent of a Japanese chemical virus that's gotten loose and turning the infected rabid, that isn't altogether new, and that is glossed over nicely by the scenes showing their community and bonding as a whole. With them to be shown pining for lost lives when they were still human, communicating, grieving, or even forming plans of action together in far more intelligent reasoning than expected, it draws a fine parallel to the dehumanizing nature of war itself, turning youthful, vibrant soldiers into hardened, bloodthirsty maniacs as a result. While still being monstrous creatures, this sympathy towards them is quite palpable and adds a fun dimension to the film. Still, the main gist to be enjoyed here is the high-end zombie carnage, as this falls in line with genre conventions immensely well. The initial attack featuring a soldier escaping battle only to fall into quicksand and get rescued at the last possible second by what he thinks are his squad-members only to find it be the zombies is masterfully executed, while later rampages across villages and military outposts showing them feasting on decimated remains and ripping people apart, serve to get nice and bloody. The various scenes attempting to capture them so that they can study them have some energy to them, and a frenetic series of encounters with the ravenous creatures on sandy beaches or inside darkened caves illuminated only by the flashing gun barrels are fun and lively, all giving the film quite a lot to enjoy. There isn't much, but there are a few slight drawbacks to this one. The main issue here is the series of overly melodramatic moments in the middle section that manage to repeatedly hammer home the troubled nature of the soldiers without accomplishing much. We already know their troubled state from the numerous experiments performed on them by the Japanese soldiers, comparing everything to the treatment of their fellow Thai group, so to continually hammer home this state of being makes for a repetitive and overlong feeling, drawing out what's going on. While not needing to be removed, this section is in need of a trim to avoid doubling down on aspects we've already gotten familiar with by that point. Ignoring a logical ending point to continue for another ten minutes also hurts this somewhat, but they're not detrimental issues overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Brief Nudity, and a brief sex scene.

With the backdrop of World War II, the plot explores the historical fiction of Thailand's involvement in the war conflict and how the Japanese-engineered chemical weapon outbreaks, as well as how the Japanese military experiments on Thai soldiers.

The pace is rather uneven at times, where intense actions are suddenly interchanged with slow moments.

Unlike any typical mindless zombies, in this movie, the zombies retain a degree of consciousness and emotional depth, where they can communicate among themselves. This could be unacceptable to some audiences!

In terms of character development, only Mek and Mok (the two brothers) are well-developed, while the other supporting characters lack depth and growth, making it less impactful even though they are killed.

In general, this movie critiques the brutality of war that tears families apart. It also focuses very much on family bonds and the relationship between the two brothers, Mek and Mok. For instance, even in their zombie state, they strive to protect their family and loved ones. In short, the movie's emotional weight mainly comes from the strong family ties.

In summary, the movie offers a new and daring perspective on the zombie genre, infusing with humanity, social commentary, and emotional complexity. Oh ya, there is an end-credit, so remember to stay back for it!