Review of Cockneys vs Zombies (2012) by Jesse O — 24 Jan 2014

This is what happens when Shaun of the Dead and Guy Ritchie's first two films have drunken sex with each other. So this movie isn't all that inventive, but they take those familiar pieces and they're woven into an entertaining package.

This film doesn't have the heart of Shaun of the Dead or the consistent quick-witted dialogue of Lock, Stock...or Snatch. But, again, I think the script is still full of many funny moments and the cast clearly was having a blast doing this movie, so that definitely translates on-screen.

So even if the film doesn't have a gigantic budget, you're still having a fun time watching the flick rather than concentrating on the technical deficiencies. And to be honest, the film doesn't look that bad.

I've certainly seen worse looking films that look like they were shot on the cheapest camera available. There's also some really clever usage of gore in this film. There's some genuinely hilarious lines in the film, the main problem of it is that they're not particularly consistent.

The film's first half is infinitely funnier than the film's second half, where it almost feels like the film ran out of jokes to throw out. It's not that the action-heavy second half of the film is bad, it's just that it's not as interesting as the humorous interactions between the characters.

There's also this one "serious" scene where one of the characters goes to check on her sister, only to find out that she's already dead. It wasn't bad, and it was certainly a good idea to try this, but it felt completely out of place and it doesn't really lead to anything later on in the movie, so it feels like it was just there just for the sake of giving the film a little more depth.

And I feel that they failed, because nothing changes about the character that has to go through that. She isn't hardened by the experience, she doesn't realize that nothing will ever be the same again.

The film goes back to being the silly, fun comedy it had been prior to that. Almost like that scene didn't happen, so it makes me question what the purpose was of that scene. So they second half of film, while still entertaining, definitely stumbles and it climaxes with a very corny speech from Alan Ford about how the east end of London will overcome this situation, like it has done in the past and blah blah.

I think the film is still entertaining, but it definitely falls a step or two behind the first half of the film. Still, this is mostly a lighthearted horror film in the likes of Shaun of the Dead. Clearly, if your favorite horror film is SOTD, then this'll be right up your alley.

It won't match Shaun's greatness, but that doesn't stop this from being a solid, fun romp.