Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Blu-ray / DVD)
Staring Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont
Directed by Christopher Landon
Distributed by Paramount
To say I loved Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse would be like saying whales just kind of like eating fish and killing their SeaWorld trainers. Prior to viewing, I had absolutely no interest in the film. This was one of those reviews I regarded as a chore. I didn’t know the first thing about it but assumed I’d be in for some hilarious family-friendly hijinks as a group of young boys use various golf ball traps and water balloons to battle the shambling hordes of undead that their parents just won’t believe are right in the woods! I was judging a book by its title, not even going so far to assess the cover. I was being an ignorant slut.
After a kick-ass introductory dance scene and gruesome zombie murder set the tone, I realized that maybe this wasn’t a kids movie. Anyone with the slightest journalistic integrity could have gone as far as the back of the box to sleuth out that this was an R-rated film, but for me this was a welcome surprise. It starts brutal and fun and keeps up the pace for the duration of the film. It never gets boring or stale and, even when dumb, manages to be entertaining. I know it’s not the most sophisticated gag, but the window scene… goddamn if that isn’t a new height of comedic genius.
The spread of violence, humor, and heart completes a triforce of horror/comedy that shines brighter than any of this year’s holiday duds. It’s a shame that this was released in tandem with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension as it’s a far superior film in almost every way. The cast of characters is likable and most importantly real. As a 26-year-old manchild, my days of youthful bullshitting are not that far behind me. It’s easy for me to sniff out when a line is written by a committee, packaged and designed to get the most halfhearted chuckles from the largest demographic.
While of course the split of the fat guy/comic relief/everyman/misunderstood hot chick is standard Hollywood, the way the characters talked and interacted was genuine. The fat kid was shy and the butt of a lot of jokes but wasn’t afraid to dish it out as well. The everyman was predictably average with the soul of a hero, but it didn’t come off as just a “character.” The comic relief was always making jokes, but it never felt forced.
The plot and key points progress predictably, but it gets away with it. I understand that the zombies will come, they will have to try to save the day, their scout training will be in some way pivotal, and the guy will get the girl. It’s nothing new, but as long as the events in between are fun, it doesn’t really matter that I know where they are going. The plot gets a bit silly at times, and it can feel like things are happening just for the sake of them to happen. I like zombie cats, but they aren’t exactly integral to the story. The movie is a total vehicle, but it’s a fun dune buggy, not your mom’s minivan.
I should make clear here that I really do not like comedies. I’m one of those sad, tragic people that just doesn’t get a rise out of silly situations unless there is a heavy amount of macabre and depressive over/undertones. Just some people telling jokes isn’t fun for me. I never liked The Hangover, and it takes an absolute classic like Blazing Saddles to get me into clever slapstick. To get me to like a comedy requires a furious, unrelenting grip on my black little heart. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire run time of Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. It blew my expectations and shouldn’t be missed.
Special Features:
- Scouts Guide to Filmmaking featurette
- The Zombie Makeup FX Handbook
- Undead Movement Guidelines: Zombie Choreography
- Uniforms and You: Costume Designs
- Deleted Scenes
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Film
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
