Movie Review by Dr Kuma
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, Colin Salmon
Director: Paul Anderson
Have you played the game?
If you have, be prepared for a prequel a la STAR WARS and wait for the second instalment. If you haven’t, switch off your mind and float downstream, this is popcorn Hollywood at it’s (nearly) most entertaining.
The synopsis of the movie really sums it up – a secret experiment, a deadly virus and a fatal mistake! That last line doesn’t sum up the movie all together however, which, unlike many of a similar ilk, delivers exactly what it’s not too discerning target audience wants – lots of shoot em’ up zombie action.
The story is simple; someone deliberately releases a toxic germ experiment into an enclosed underground environment. What they don’t bank on is that they don’t escape in time and that instead of killing all the underground staff, it merely turns them into flesh eating zombies and they, along with the team sent to rescue them, are trapped!
Fans of George Romero’s zombie flicks will be amused that a company have decided to remake his overrated third instalment in the trilogy DAY OF THE DEAD. I hated that movie when it was released (someone in the audience actually threw up behind me in the cinema) but this is slick popcorn rubbish at it’s best.
If you liked the director’s MORTAL KOMBAT you’ll love this. If you liked THE HOLE by the same team you’ll be amused but not too disappointed. For discerning horror fans, this is acceptable nonsense, in the same way 13 GHOSTS was passable, if contrived. The last 10-15 minutes seems to be a homage to John Carpenter, in both visuals and music, which, lets face it, really isn’t a bad thing. The cast are fine and the visuals acceptable, if not again a little contrived in parts.
All in all, well worth buying a hot dog or a bag of large popcorn for. You’ll finish both quickly however, or bite your nails, as this can really have you on the edge of your seat at times.
Dr Kuma’s verdict: Leave your console and take a seat for a movie that is out of your control but not director Paul W S Anderson’s.
