Review of Dead Snow (2009) by Andy L — 03 Jan 2011

6.2/10.

"Dead Snow" is the film that nobody needed but got anyways; a less than original but entertaining twist for the Zombie film genre. OK, maybe it's not so much a twist, but it's a damn good break from the usual generic crap that comes out of the sub-genre. Yes, "Dead Snow" is plagued by more than a few good flaws, but it also has this charming, unfailing ability to make you laugh your ass off as you would while in the process of watching Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" or Joe Dante's "Gremlins". You do indeed find yourself laughing quite a bit. Whether it's hanging off of a cliff with only a Nazi Zombie's intestines to hang on to, or perhaps even a scene involving two good ol' boys hacking their way through a horde of zombies with incredibly unfitting Norwegian music playing over all the mayhem, "Dead Snow" is funny, that is if it wants to be. While a good deal of the film is spent on the deliverance of the humor and gore that the film promises, the other good portion is spent on an almost non-existent plot, mediocre performances (aside from three), and an almost overwhelming sense of "I'm going to forget this by tomorrow". I guess "Dead Snow" doesn't want us to cherish it after one good viewing, since it almost TRIES to be forgettable. However, the ride is fun. It's not a film that I'd care to watch more than once, but what the hell: it's a fun zombie movie. And the zombies are NAZI ZOMBIES! Is this not awesome? Is this not "fun"? I guess "Dead Snow" leaves it up to the viewer to determine whether it's actually good or not, and it will divide audiences. I once could not look through this film's flaws, but after seeing it again, I had some serious fun with it. I think the best part about it is realizing that no matter how much "Call of Duty" fans love the "Nazi Zombies" part of the game, they will NEVER-and I mean never-hear of this film. It's an indie production, no doubt, but maybe its better that such a crappy community keep their closed little minds out of this film's small but admiring fan base. As you can tell, I may not exactly BE in the film's fan-base. However, I do support it as a film that manages to (just barely) work with its financial short-comings. Kudos to any director who can make an entertaining film on such a damn low budget. It's a rare treat, although it's seldom a truly amazing one. Take it as you will.

"Dead Snow" is a film which centers around seven young men and woman who hike up to a friend's cabin for a few days of booze, partying, and all the other wondrous festivities that can still be performed while in a log cabin. Of course, not a lot happens for a while, that is until a hiker stops by and provides a little back-story on the surroundings. Soon after he leaves, it becomes apparent that there is another non-human entity outside, and it is very much alive. And it is even sooner revealed that this very feeling of uneasiness is caused by none other than a horde of flesh-hungry Nazi Zombies. An ancient curse awakens them one by one, although the Captain of the lot seems to be the one who can summon the undead at his will. So from then on, "Dead Snow" destroys any chance of a decent plot, and goes on to provide a whole lot of fun, fun, fun. Luckily, it's not being pretentious or overheated when it offers this; "Dead Snow" is indeed quite fun to watch. Most of the stuff in place of a plot is gore, and most of the gore is so over-the-top that it's hilarious. Sometimes, the fact that the film puts gore in front of a potential plot is enough to make me laugh. And any time when I'm not laughing, I'm essentially bored to death. Nevertheless, "Dead Snow" is not much more than an entertaining People VS. Zombies all-out war, although in this edition everything takes place in snowy mountains and all the zombies are prejudice against Jews. It's a rather humorous spin on the sub-genre of Zombie horror, although it only really works as a forgettable but fun first-timer. All in all, bland characters, bland plot, good fun. It should work its charm for the audience which chooses to dig it up.

I have mixed reactions when it comes to the cast. The good actors include Orjan Gamst, Jeppe Laursen, Stig Frode Henriksen, and Vegar Hoel. Then there are the mediocre actors, and need I name all of them? "Dead Snow" fails to feature interesting or relatable characters. There's a movie nerd, a flamboyant horn-dog, and one very pissed off Nazi Zombie. None of the actors who portray these people do it with any sort of inspiration, rendering the performances ultimately forgettable, and that even goes for the genuinely good actors. Then again, it's somewhat strange how such mediocre actors can still manage to make a film as suitably lame as this so damn funny.

There are good amounts of dumb fun to be had in "Dead Snow", although due to its "dumbness", it will not appeal to just anyone. But hardcore zombie fans are sure to have a genuinely decent blast. "Dead Snow" has an appeal that goes on throughout, especially when the gore starts flowing and never ceases to stop. I appreciated that a lot, since the large amounts of gore made "Dead Snow" a pretty funny movie. More-so hilarious are the wacky-ass situations that the characters seem to get into each time they are assaulted by the undead demons of Germany. The zombies themselves even have an interesting look to them, and since the cinematography is pretty solid, "Dead Snow" is as fun to watch as it is to look at. Even the gore looks fairly realistic and comes in large quantities, making this film a suitably entertaining blast of cold chill. And a super-cool Norwegian soundtrack makes it even more fun to watch. One of the best scenes actually works so well because of the music. I am of course referring to the scene in which the sole pair of survivors hacks their way through a horde of evil undead. The scene works because the ironically placed music makes it funny as hell. That's right, I actually laughed myself silly. But that's essentially the only time I did that. All in all, "Dead Snow" makes me sort of happy that we have indie flicks, even if its not one that you definitely should pay attention to. It's not one of the best, but it pulls out some much-needed undead fun when we live in a world where only geniuses can seem to do so. In that sense, it's a minor but entertaining little treat.

There have been zombie films done right. But recently, things have not looked the slightest bit good. I commend Tommy Wirkola in his quest to make things right again, although somehow I feel that the man wanted to do nothing more than entertain and hope for better things to come. And with the arrival of "Zombieland" and "Pontypool" soon after, things did indeed get "better", although I do highly doubt that they will ever get "great" again. That's just plain out of the question at this point, and if you've watched as much zombie flicks as I have (which isn't too many...recently), then you know what I mean. All in all, "Dead Snow" is a recommended viewing. However, it just barely is worth the one-time watch. It could be called a time-waster due to its endless and flamboyant sense of stupid fun, although then again I have to admire it for its ambitions, which are never to big or to small for this little film to handle. If you're in to Indies, check it out. If you like zombie films, then you should make a note of it. But it's not for everyone, as every horror film is not. There's not a whole lot wrong with "Dead Snow", although there's not a whole lot right either. I know that for some this may be a problem, but is it too much for a lover of such a decaying sub-genre to want a little less of the generic and more of the genuinely unique?