Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption

Every time I begrudgingly click on a post 1980's zombie picture I somehow convince myself before hand that it will not use the same stupid traits that every other modern zombie film/show uses. Maybe all zombie fans like these traits? I will get to those in a second, first lets look at the general qualities of the film. The acting? Bad. The bad guys act like COBRA from GI Joe and the good guys just as forcefully silly. Bad acting can harm a compelling story, luckily this film doesn't have one. There are times the acting is so hammy you would think you were watching The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The setting is that of a post apocalyptic world taken over by zombies, complete with mad max style outfits. Combined with the acting this only pushes the ridiculousness of the film. The story doesn't really ever present itself or draw you in. If you were to ask me what the story is 30 minutes into the film I would say some guy is captured or rescued by a group of survivors, and there are a bunch of mad Max guys led by a guy who growls everything he says who wants him dead for some reason. Camera work and quality is not bad but nothing terribly attractive or innovative about it. So lets go on with the traits I mentioned earlier, you may call this knit picking but these things get to you when you see it time and time again like I have. Number one and the biggest issue is the screeching zombies. I absolutely hate that. I hate it when zombies make animal growls or screeches because it is really just unpleasant to hear. Why is it that every modern zombie film has to do this? Second is that although every ones clothes are made to look dirty or tattered, the actors and actresses themselves look like they have always just gotten out of a fresh shower and new haircut. Finally is that the zombies themselves just are not presented as a danger in this film. In about any modern zombie film the zombies are just background noise, hardly seen and certainly no threat to the main characters of the film. I only saw about 2 zombies the first 40 minutes of the film. Overall weak quality. It felt like a zombie fan fiction more than a actual film. 2/10 is the best I can offer. It didn't try anything new and was of all around bad quality.

Ryan Thompson's audaciously ambitious, low-budget, high-body-count, 'Zombie Horde' comes flying chaotically at you like a tumultuous typhoon of Rabid, Road-Warrior worshipping rapscallions, and the demonstrative lack of production value is leavened by the explosive excess of elephantine-balled, everything-and -the-kitchen-sink' celluloid chutzpah, and this dearth of originality is luridly compensated with a triumphant proliferation of deliriously cartoonish, brashly pilfered, trope-stealing perfidy! A hyperbolic, high-octane, deadhead-smashing, cheaply distilled cocktail; one part, Enzo G Castellari's barmy B-Movie 'Bronx Warrior', two parts, 'New Barbarians, this vainglorious, Z-Movie brew is shaken to bloody imperfection and served in a lukewarm skull, without an inch of irony! To wit, they even have a swarthy, eye-patch sportin' dude channelling an am-dram Snake Plissken, aye! That director Thompson is endowed with the largess of sack required to so wickedly purloin the likeness of our beloved Plissken is, quite frankly, awesome to behold, along with all the triumphantly plentiful, post-apocalyptic movie miasma, we then enjoy the legendary presence of original 'Vigilante' himself, the Grindhouse grand-master of disaster, Fred Williamson, on fearsome, douche bag-dissin' form as quick-quipping, 'Moses'; the moody, cigar-sucking, gun-blasting', Zombie-zapping patriarch of his rag-tag group of plucky, schlock-movie toe rags!

If Bruno Mattei's 'Rats Night of Terror' gave birth in a dystopian wasteland, nourishing itself solely on a misbegotten, terminally toxic diet of Troma movies, Linnea Quigley work out videos, and Mad Max masquerading, Italian B-Movie horror hysteria, this grossly mutated progeny, while undeniably butt-ugly, would kick more ass than a red hot Vindaloo enema! Thompson's, 'Zombie Horde' is an undeniably fun ride, but it 'ain't especially smart, but, for me at least, the film's unrepentant boorishness endows it with some additionally disgraceful, B-Movie audacity, so I couldn't help but fall in love with it hook line and stinker! Fair warning, like certain divisive pizza adornments, this overtly salty, lunk-headed, junk food treat might well be too odorously cheese-laden for more refined movie fans; if one's trash-benumbed palate craves the illicit, grindhouse-greasy, gory, gonzo-Gorgonzola savour of synthetic, wholly inorganic fare, dig in, and don't stand on ceremony, dude!!! As this is a hellaciously heroic, mascarpone-laden, zombie apocalypse with an entirely splendid, synth-swollen score, which like some sinuous succubus, wends its wickedly irresistible path, deep into your horror movie-soaked mind! Okay! Okay!!! I get it! I really do, we've been here a hundred times before, so there's nothing new under the dying celluloid sun these days, who cares????!!! Just as that original sin, we all keep on clamouring back hungrily for more of that splattery goodness!

This movie most definitely has entertainment value, but I don't believe it's the type of entertainment they had in mind when they made it. This movie is so atrociously bad, the acting, the script, everything, that you'll be laughing out loud, face palming yourself, and rolling your eyes continuously. I mean, the main villain in this film walked around the entire time with a look on his face like he was enraged, constipated 24/7, and had just drank half a jug of sour milk. That alone was hilarious to watch. The acting was unbelievably wooden, unbelievably unconvincing, and phoned in from 50 miles away. This is one of those rare movies that REALLY IS so bad it's good. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

I bought this movie from Amazon. Why? Well because I am huge zombie aficionado and I just have to watch all things zombie, read all things zombie, and play all things zombie. With my zombie-interest, yeah I bump into a lot of dubious stuff, and "Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption" was hardly worth the effort, much less worth the money I paid for it.

Right from the very beginning when there was a very 1980's computer game-like background story scrolling up on the screen, you just know that you are in for a bad time. And true enough, the movie didn't fail to deliver on that hunch. Just that background story was utter nonsense in itself, and it was hard to buy into the events that apparently had transpired there.

The acting in the movie was halting and stagnant at best. It wasn't really coming off on the screen like people were having their hearts in the movie. And I can't really say that I remember any of the people in the movie from their performances. I just remember a single face, but that was because I saw him in "From Dusk till Dawn", can't recall his name though.

As for the zombies in the movie, well don't expect to be blown away by cool make-up or CGI effects. And I especially loved the fight scene at the camp, where the zombie actually lifted its arm and blocked a punch. Are you kidding me? Epic fail...

"Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption" was a slap in the face for me, and it is a zombie movie that will be bagged and tagged, slapped on the movie shelf and never watched again. It was actually so horrendous that I started zapping chapters to see if it was all equally boring and uninspiring; and it was. So I ended up turning off the movie, and I know I will never pop it back in the DVD player and see how it ended.

If you are a zombie aficionado like me, stay well clear of this zombie movie, because it is a disappointment. Sure, now I own it, and it is part of my ever-growing (and rotting, no offense) collection of zombie stuff. But the movie will never be more than just a filler on the shelf.

I wouldn't put this film in the league of Troma as I'm not sure if its to be taken serious or not, but I did get some enjoyment from what I'll call a C-horror movie. There are subtle (and not so subtle) references to Snake Plisken, Star Wars, From Dusk til Dawn, and other low budget zombie movies throughout ZA:R that I found entertaining. That being said, the acting was pretty awful from the lead female character, and the villain, Rome. Though, I suspect with Rome it was intended to be bad. I can't find any excuses for the lead female, however. She just seemed out of her element here. The fight scenes were playful instead of violent, almost comical if you don't take them too seriously. If you have a few hours to kill and you really enjoy low budget films, you may find this one entertaining. However, if you're looking for high quality then look elsewhere because you won't find any appreciation for this one. I can't say that it was all bad though. I got some laughs from it, and even enjoyed it from time to time.