There is a lot I will accept from a low budget film
especially when it has no stars in it but I’m not as forgiving with a low
budget film that uses stars to sell their film and make it seem more
interesting then it really is. This is
my biggest problem with Rise of the
Zombies (2012). With names such as
Danny Trejo, Mariel Hemingway, Ethan Suplee, and LeVar Burton you’d at least
expect a half way decent and entertaining zombie film, but that is not the
case.
When the zombie apocalypse occurs a group of survivors go to
Alcatraz Island for safe haven. Lynn
Snyder and Doctor Halpern (Hemingway and Burton, respectfully) are trying to
find a cure for the zombie plague but are stopped at every turn by Captain
Caspian (Trejo) who believes the only good zombie is a dead one. When Alcatraz becomes overrun by zombies they
leave in the hopes of finding a Doctor Arnold (French Stewart) who holds the
key to a cure for the plague.
Doesn’t sound that bad does it?
Looks can be deceiving as I found out the hard way from this
complete mess of a film. Besides the
script being something cobbled together from various Romero zombie films this
film has absolutely no original bone in its body (other than setting the film
on Alcatraz). Performances are worse
than subpar which is surprising coming from the established talents up on
screen (who I’m sure only did the film because of the pay check). I’ve come to expect some cheese with my low
budget horror films but stupidity is a whole other story. None of the characters are smart and
motivations are non-existent. This film
took the best of other zombie films but didn’t know why they worked in those
other films making this nothing but an excuse to get a bunch of stars together
for a zombie film. I am surprised by
Hemingway and Burton’s participation in this film as both deserve better and
even Trejo (who has made a living in low budget horror film haven) seems to be
phoning this film in (and it should come as no surprise that when he dies a
third of the way in you are not in the least bit sorry).
These stars deserve better than this dredge and so do zombie
fans.
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