State of Emergency

"State of Emergency" is not your average zombie movie. The movie starts out with a fairly good and interesting introduction to the main character, Jim (played by Jay Hayden). However, the movie is fairly slow in pace, and sadly never really picks up and gets into gear.

Now, don't get me wrong, because the movie is not all bad or an entire waste of time. What works out well in favor for the movie is the characters and the way that it manages to build up the relations to the four characters of which the movie revolves.

However, if you are looking for a zombie-fest or gore-show, then "State of Emergency" is a wrong bet to put your money on. As with "The Walking Dead", then "State of Emergency" is a character-driven story, although it just never gets anywhere near "The Walking Dead" effects-wise. I will say that all four people hired for the four main characters did good jobs with their given roles.

As much as I enjoy zombie movies, then I have always had a problem with agile and running zombies, which is what they have in this movie. And why do zombies in low-budget movies always have to make growling sounds like predatory big cats? It is just so stupid.

For a low-budget movie, then "State of Emergency" did a good enough job with what was available, and what they did use worked well enough in favor for the movie. However, it doesn't score high on the zombie ladder in regards of entertainment and enjoyment. There are far worse zombie movies available on the market.

"State of Emergency" is good is you have 85 minutes to spare and got nothing better to watch.

Although low-budget zombie movies are ten a penny these days and, it's fair to say, the majority of them are absolute rubbish, STATE OF EMERGENCY offers something a little different. For a start, it looks like a professional, well-made movie despite the low budget; it has great production values and it avoids being cheesy for the most part.

Of course, there's a flip side to this coin, and the main detraction with the film is that it's incredibly slow. There are lots and lots of long, drawn-out sequences where the protagonist just barricades himself inside a building and waits...and waits...and waits. Some viewers might find this off-putting, although I found that the tension levels were high, which kept me watching.

The acting isn't bad, and pretty good for a B-movie, and as mentioned the technical values are decent. The zombies themselves are fast-moving and ultra-aggressive, much like the ones in 28 DAYS LATER, and the scare sequences are well handled. STATE OF EMERGENCY is far from perfect, and one of the disappointments is that the ending just fizzles out instead of bangs, but in a sea of trash watching it is a nice surprise.

If you come into this expecting something like the Walking Dead, or any of the other hundreds of Zombie movies out there, you will be disappointed. This movie is actually more about the characters and the personalities and what they are experiencing and going through emotionally, than it is about Zombies.

Taking it for what it is, this movie is okay. It's not fantastic, but it is okay. If anything, the Zombies almost get in the way of the actual story itself, at least what little of them there are.

The movie is a wee bit confused in that it is trying to cater to multiple audiences by being a dramatic tale with some conservatively added violence, guns and gore. Doesn't quite work, but I don't think it completely fails either.

The plot: After an explosion at a plant that stores biological weapons, a rage virus transforms a small community into bloodthirsty cannibals.

Yes, it's a straight-up ripoff of 28 Days Later and The Crazies. Once you get past that, it's actually pretty watchable, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable. The characters are a bit on the stupid side, but they're likable idiots. The slow pacing and brief run-time don't really leave much time for character development, and you end up not really knowing who these characters are. This is a bit of a problem because the film basically revolves around the characters; there's little gore or action, especially considering the genre. There's a little bit of drama, suspense, and romance, but don't hold your breath waiting for them. When the characters aren't have flashbacks to explain their thin back story, they're staring out windows or peering through rifle scopes. It's not very exciting, but it's a fairly tolerable waste of time.

If you're looking for a film that focuses more on characters and atmosphere, you may enjoy State of Emergency. Just keep in mind that it's an independent, low budget zombie film, and don't go in expecting a masterpiece. For example, the characters inject insulin into a diabetic's vein, and the zombies mostly just strike frightening poses and growl instead of attacking. My guess is they didn't have enough money for many stunts. It's not a great film, but it's better than I was expecting, given the budget and one man crew.

Well,as i started to check this one out,i was ready for anything,or at least something.This film starts small,and sorry to say,stays small.Now,i,m not saying its not worth watching,its just that we have all seen better.The cast does a decent job at playing the roles,all kinda with that "non-actor" thing going on,and i only counted 6-7 zombies,so i take it that most did not survive the "thing" that caused all of the problems to start with.No great hordes,limping,stumbling,or shuffling,but stand-around being dead,until they see you,then they move !.Not too much of the red sauce,or rad deaths,just a couple of head shots.Lots of time on their hands,they talk,plan eat,and when they can,they sleep,which is what this movie inspired me to do