Review of Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection (2012) by Justin B — 07 Apr 2016

Yes, Barbara. This is a reimagined, British version of our beloved American original. I had high expectations for this film for a variety of reasons. First of all, it's new, and has the use of technology that NOTLD didn't have, including, but not limited to, color Go-Pro cameras, cell phones, better makeup, better prosthetics, and what should be better acting.

The setup: The first 15 minutes of this turkey caught my eye. We have our requisite Ben and Barbara, who seem to be destined for a hookup that would hold promise as being a great re-focused version of the American original. Sadly, this turns out not to be the case.

There are a few references to both NOTLD and American Pop culture that are funny, stick-me-in-the-ribs moments, including Ben's cell phone wallpaper, and a few shirts some random British hoodlums are sporting. But directors never take advantage of those tongue-in-cheek references.

Fast forward, and we are introduced to a British farm/cottage family, whose residents include a grandfather, "Gramps," Mum & Dad, son-in-law Kevin with very pregnant wife Jennifer, a younger daughter we'll call Chicky, and a couple of random, young family friends. Ben meets up with this family, tire tool in hand, and it does not turn out well. But that's all I'll say.

About an hour into this flick, it gets interesting. But by the time some major plot points are revealed, you just don't care about the characters anymore. One issue that perked me up was when Chicky puts the move on Kevin, her sister's husband. But by the time that plot point leads anywhere, I was yawning and looking at my watch.

And, of course, we'll overlook the cheap aluminum locks hanging off the outside of the bathroom doors that the family has a couple of biters locked in; or the stoic, bushy-browed Dad, who refuses to leave the family alone to get help, only to cave in at the end; or the TV news/cell phone blackout the family suffers. When the systems are restored, the group is sipping tea in the living room and looks like they are watching a BBC rerun, totally uninterested. PLUS, when did the Undead start wearing BLUE contacts? Looks like most of them are waiting for a date ...

One big plus: The movie has a nice surprise ending, one of those where the peeps you REALLY WANT to be killed may or may not get their due. But the lagging, vapid script writing, coupled with all these Brits' stiff upper lips, leave us wanting more. Resurrection? This flop should have been left dead and buried.