Just when you think that the whole genre of Zombie films has been exhausted of ideas, another one comes along. This time we look to France and La Horde (not really worth a translation is it?) and while it doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, it is brilliant fun.
After the death of one of their colleagues at the hands of a gang, a group of cops decide to go vigilante and take vengeance on the gang by storming the high rise tower block in which they are housed.
This goes almost immediately pear shaped, but before anything can happen zombies storm the building and the cops and the gang must form an uneasy alliance to get out alive.
Unlike the Romero '...of the Dead' films the undead in La Horde are fast (which I don't find a problem - after Zack Snyder's terrific Dawn Of The Dead remake I can accept both fast and slow zombies) and for some brilliant reason can actually defend themselves a bit which we see in two memorable fight scenes.
To drift off on a tangent for a moment - it's strange what I can accept in Zombie films as opposed to say Vampire ones. We've seen fast zombies, slow zombies, talking zombies (Return Of The Living Dead), teleporting zombies (City Of The Living Dead) but when it comes to vampires that just shimmer a bit when exposed to sunlight? I'm out.
Back to the film though - the action sequences are all superb and include some great zombie kills (almost predictably the group find a stash of cool weapons in the tower block and use them all to fantastic effect).
If the film had a downside it would probably be the female lead. Portrayed through most of the film as a take-no-prisoners hard case, the character slips back into the generic helpless horror film female character way too often and easily, then straight back into the original tough persona. Took me out of it a bit.
But overall La Horde proves there is plenty of life (unlike the horde) in Zombie films yet. In terms of comparisons to recent films it's unfair to compare it to the likes of Zombieland which was an out and out comedy which just happened to have zombies in, but when you stack it up against Romero's most recent Survival Of The Dead it knocks spots of it. Which is the highest praise for a film like this you can get.
****
Off the chart zombie fun, with only a bit of shady characterisation letting the side down. Highly recommended for all fans of the genre.
After the death of one of their colleagues at the hands of a gang, a group of cops decide to go vigilante and take vengeance on the gang by storming the high rise tower block in which they are housed.
This goes almost immediately pear shaped, but before anything can happen zombies storm the building and the cops and the gang must form an uneasy alliance to get out alive.
Unlike the Romero '...of the Dead' films the undead in La Horde are fast (which I don't find a problem - after Zack Snyder's terrific Dawn Of The Dead remake I can accept both fast and slow zombies) and for some brilliant reason can actually defend themselves a bit which we see in two memorable fight scenes.
To drift off on a tangent for a moment - it's strange what I can accept in Zombie films as opposed to say Vampire ones. We've seen fast zombies, slow zombies, talking zombies (Return Of The Living Dead), teleporting zombies (City Of The Living Dead) but when it comes to vampires that just shimmer a bit when exposed to sunlight? I'm out.
Back to the film though - the action sequences are all superb and include some great zombie kills (almost predictably the group find a stash of cool weapons in the tower block and use them all to fantastic effect).
If the film had a downside it would probably be the female lead. Portrayed through most of the film as a take-no-prisoners hard case, the character slips back into the generic helpless horror film female character way too often and easily, then straight back into the original tough persona. Took me out of it a bit.
But overall La Horde proves there is plenty of life (unlike the horde) in Zombie films yet. In terms of comparisons to recent films it's unfair to compare it to the likes of Zombieland which was an out and out comedy which just happened to have zombies in, but when you stack it up against Romero's most recent Survival Of The Dead it knocks spots of it. Which is the highest praise for a film like this you can get.
****
Off the chart zombie fun, with only a bit of shady characterisation letting the side down. Highly recommended for all fans of the genre.
1 comment:
Great review - I loved this film also! But then I also loved Survival of the Dead, even after repeated viewings!
What's that about *teleporting* zombies in City of the Living Dead..?! I have GOT to watch that soon!! lol.
Post a Comment