Extinction - The G.M.O. Chronicles and Fighting a Global Infection: A Movie Review

Director: Niki Drozdowski.

Writers: Niki Drozdowski and Ralf Betz.

Cast: Jerry Coyle, Lee Rychter, Bina Milas, and Klaus Ebert.

Extinction - The G.M.O. Chronicles is a zombie genred film that released in Germany earlier this year in both English and German. The story follows Tom (Daniel Buder), a survivalist, who struggles with loneliness while trying to stay alive. A virus has infected the local populace of the Rhine and now zombie walkers, runners, and brutes rule the land. There are even some parkour styled infected and the wide assortment of antagonists keeps this film thrilling.

Tom is one of only a few survivors of a global epidemic. Strangely, after three days, Tom is already considering suicide. Apparently, the United States is not the only filmmaking country now known for theatrics. After some grumbling, Tom decides to scout the area and eventually he finds more of those immune to the virus including: Lisa (Luise Bähr), Max (Tobias Kay), David (Christian Stock) and a few others. Together they lay low in an old post-World War II bunker. Then, the acrobatic zombies come to overrun their base and much of the rest of the film is spent on the road with this endangered group seeking safety.

And this is a widely assorted cast of characters. Tom is an ex-special forces officers who lost most of his family in Kosovo. Lisa is ever the optimist and sometimes manic-depressive as she tries to cope with the apocalypse with silly games and interior design. Bill is Lisa's father and this American has a secret or two that he is hiding from the group. There are also lots of minor characters which include David, the germphobe and Max, the ex-soldier cum coward. Each character is given enough attention in this 100 plus minute film.

The locales look great but so does the action in this film. There are lots of little skirmishes between the infected at the bunker and in the nearby town. A powerful group of backwards flipping zombies are what turns the tide in the favour of the villains. The large brute in the film waits for the climax to make his strength shown and strangely he is outmatched in under a minute. As well, arguably the environment is an indirect malefactor as radiation from nuclear power plants promises to turn the world into an irradiated playground; the virus dismisses any assurance of safety, also.

Extinction - G.M.O. Chronicles is the second German zombie film that this reviewer has seen and Rammbock, the other, also utilized well rounded characters. Overall, the picture reviewed here is your above average action thriller that utilizes pacing to keep the film exciting. There was a late religious message introduced into this picture unnecessarily, but all things considered, this is a pretty solid picture that will likely be enjoyed by most zombie cinema fans. Suitable in tone and mood (dark), Extinction - G.M.O. Chronicles puts you right in the action and that action is running at you full bore with your murder on its mind.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10 (there were some strange bits here and there, good characters, interesting story, good open ended finale).

*only available in Germany as of November 17th.

The Extinction - G.M.O. Chronicles fan page is here:

The Film's Fan Page

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