Operation Undead

This movie was interesting, and fresh, and empathetic, and original. I strongly disagree with the IMDb rating! It was all subtitles, so there's that. Watch it if you have time to pay attention. It offered a new perspective on zombie culture though! And great acting. Beautiful score. I loved all of it.

I hope you who are curious will give it a try.

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!

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.

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.

The idea of humanizing the undead or giving them intelligence and emotional complexity is nothing new.

George A. Romero did it in Day Of The Dead and his following sequels. Return Of The Living Dead (the entire series) did it. And many, many others have tried as well. Some were successful. Most were not.

This film attempts to make one see the undead as intelligent, complex, emotional beings while at the same time show them as the brutal flesh eaters they really are.

And? It kinda falls flat.

There are logic holes and confusing convoluted plot points that take you out of the film and leave you saying, "why?"

The gore effects are somewhat impressive and creative but the CGI is less than stellar and in some scenes it is so obviously bad you think they switched over to a 10 year old video game suddenly.

Don't think however, that this makes it a bad film.

It's actually quite good. Entertaining. Exciting. Intelligent. Fun.

It's just flawed and can feel somewhat unfinished at times.

It is well worth watching one time but I don't see this as being a repeated watch experience.