DVD Review - “Planet Terror”
GRADE: B+
You all have heard me say it before, I love zombies movies. No really, I LOVE zombie movies. When the double feature “Grindhouse” movies were released this past summer they were met with a luke warm reception by movie fans. Movie geeks and critics had nothing but great things to say about this new format. Quentin Tarantino directed “Death Proof” the companion piece to Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror”. “Death Proof” is my favorite movie of 2007 so far, hands down. Unfortunately, as much as I was entertained, “Planet Terror” doesn’t match “Death Proof’s” flawless writing and edge of your seat action.
Now that said, “Planet Terror” is an exhilarating exercise of over the top gore and it is a great homage to the “zombie genre”. I must admit some of the zombie death scenes are pretty gruesome and not for the squeamish. The movie is about a group of people attempting to survive an onslaught of zombie-like creatures as they feud with a military unit. The set up and plot are irrelevant, what you will get a kick out of is the funny dialog and non stop carnage. “Planet Terror” doesn’t waste time with sentimentality, it gets to the point and fast.
Rose McGowan is a great choice for these type of campy main characters. Even after she has her leg amputated and replaced with a machine gun she still remains to be the pinnacle of sexy. Newcomer Marley Shelton (from “Sin City”, another Rodriguez movie) does a bang up job as the adulteress doctor’s wife who’s love of needles backfires on her. Her scenes simply kick ass in “Planet Terror”.
Some of the movie’s gimmicks fall flat for me, like the “lost reel” scene. I love the nuances of the “Grindhouse” films but I didn’t care for this cutesy little bit of cinematic improvisation. The cinematography and editing give the film that real “grindhouse” campy feel, but at times it took away from the action in “Planet Terror”. That said, this movie is pretty entertaining, very gross and worth a rental or purchase for those big fans of gore, zombies and campy films.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
el ray is sooooooo effin sexy