Saturday, September 21, 2013

Zombie Hunter is More Fizzle than Bang: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a Blu-ray copy of this film was provided by Well Go USA.

Director: K. King.

Writers: K. King and Kurt Knight.

Cast: Martin Copping, Danny Trejo and Clare Niederpruem.

There are just so many zombie films out there. So, new films entering the genre really need to stand out to get attention. K. King's first film as director does not really come across as showy. Instead, Zombie Hunter is a low budget affair that offers a laugh here or there, but the film's campiness removes any real tension. The film comes across as very awkward and artificial. Zombie Hunter might find a small audience; but, this film watcher felt it was more of a disappointment.

The film begins with the character known as Hunter (Martin Copping). Hunter is alone in a zombie apocalypse and he has outfitted himself a la Mad Max. His V8 Interceptor is more Trans Am, though. Hunter's shtick is to deadpan through much of the film, while offering a voiceover narrative, here and there. Hunter eventually meets a group of survivors. And soon, the protagonist is competing with Alison (Clare Niederpruem) for best voiceover. There is a plan to escape to an island, but everything goes awry, in more ways than one. The credits are a sight for sore eyes.

Zombie Hunter relies on campiness to get itself to those credits. The dialogue is often over-the-top, with characters as cliches. Did we really need a lovestruck virgin? The situations create action here and there, without reason and the violence is sometimes delivered with cheap CGI. The lighting highlights sin (pornography) and deliverance (a priest). These choices seem odd. The film just comes across as silly, overall.

The hamperings of the film are caused by a very low budget. The low budget has reduced the film's intensity, on several levels. Zombie Hunter could have used a whole lot more extras. Zombies seem to pop up here and there, but they only appear to be dispatched. They are like speed bumps in the story and not much more. As well, the acting from some of the cast is below par and sometimes stiff. The CGI and SPFX are not done well and some of the monsters look like something out of a Resident Evil game: the character Nemesis. It is all very hokey.

This film critic would recommend that horror fans seek out other zombie films; this one offers a laugh or too, but the charm dies quickly. The script is sparse and the conflicts are juvenile. The major crux through the first act involves the wholesome girl vying with the harlot for Hunter. The film is more teenage wish fulfillment, compared to anything else.

Zombie Hunter is a low budget affair that is sometimes fun, but often too simple. The conflicts are cheesy and the character's are all one note affairs. Actor Danny Trejo is also underutilized as a Catholic priest, despite appearing prominently on the Blu-ray cover. This zombie film is mostly a let down and most film fans would be best off skipping this title, or finding it on a late night Netflix queue.

Overall: 6 out of 10 (the writing is weak, characters are superficial mostly, the dueling voiceovers were unusually strange, the climax is more silliness).

A trailer for the film has previously been posted here:

Zombie Hunter Trailer on 28DLA


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