Review of Planet Terror (2007) by Pravesh B — 06 Nov 2010

8.1/10.

Never mind how good "Death Proof" may have been; I prefer "Planet Terror" out of the two Grindhouse films. "Planet Terror" is Robert Rodriguez's contribution and in many ways, his is better than Tarantino's. Even if "Death Proof" was pretty darn good, "Planet Terror" may as well be pretty darn better. It's silly like "Death Proof", but it's the slightest bit more wild. For one, it has zombies. Lots and lots of zombies. And two, it features some of the wackiest stuff from either of the two films. If you've ever wanted to see some guy's genitals melt into a puddle of goo, then here's your chance. This may be the only one you get. Robert Rodriguez is a multi-talented director who can tackle both kids films ("Spy Kids") and adult films (THIS) as a director. And the good news is that for the most part, he can make them interesting either way. I do however like my Rodriguez films unrestrained rather than playful, but either way I'm fine, as long as the end result is satisfying. So "Planet Terror" features some of the most entertaining stuff I've seen from a purely mindless action flick in a long time. It's got a girl whose leg is chopped off but she can still put it to good use by mounting a goddamn gun onto it, and it's also got Josh Brolin's face bubbling up for your viewing pleasure. This film will no doubt please those who go see it for the blood. This is pure cinematic entertainment just the way I like it. It has a good roster of actors and plenty of fun action sequences, not to mention the nice inclusion of the damaged visual presentation to enhance the experience. But the only way to add on to the experience in the best of ways is to purchase the Collector's Edition DVD, which presents each "Grindhouse" film as it was meant to be seen; cut but still barrels of fun. I mean, really. You can't deny the ride when it's shaking zombie guts in your face. It's hard to say "no" when fun is pretty much guaranteed. In other words, I highly recommend this film. If you don't mind Rodriguez being a little unrestrained, then you will no doubt enjoy this outing. If you're sort of uneasy about it, then I'd stay clear. But even if you choose to skip out on this film, at least admit that you're missing a hell of a time. This film makes me want to see more out of the dynamic duo and makes me want to evaluate "Grindhouse" as a whole. I will tell you this: my recommendation is quite high. I had fun with the films, and "Planet Terror" was the best one of the pair. That's damn right.

So the zombie apocalypse is uprising as an airborne virus is spread into the air, transforming even the most perfect of skin into the ugliest, acne-riddled shit-storm ever. As the doctors try to find a cure for the disease, the survivors are doing what they are meant to do: survive. Armed with weaponry and faux emotion, these hilariously detached characters take refuge in restaurants, fight hordes of zombies, and get captured by the military. Each individual scenario feels like some sort of homage to something relating to zombie-film lore, and that's because it probably is. Either way, the film manages to make sense yet it remains a completely ridiculous film that has a plot and no plot, but then again it doesn't need a good story to get along as it does. It's good to see that there's enough awesomeness on display to satisfy most people. And yes, that includes those who come looking for an actual plot. Not that "Planet Terror" has anything of the like. Still, it's an effectively made skewering of the zombie/horror film as well as a hilarious sort of homage. There are big laughs, small laughs, and times when we chuckle at some of the sickest stuff that we've seen from Rodriguez. At least the film starts with a fake trailer for "Machete" and goes on to present us with a faithful new cult film made for the audience that chooses to seek it. It begins well and ends well. Luckily for Mr. Rodriguez, that's good enough for me and whatever audience chooses to give the film its definite cult status.

Rose McGowen may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think badass heroin, but she still suffices as decent, to her credit. I can give her credit where it is due because she is well cast for her role. I can't say I admire her performance, but the point of "Planet Terror" is to merely enjoy the experience while it lasts. That's why it works as well as it does. Freddy Rodriguez isn't the most convincing hero, but he's not meant to be. It's almost as if every stereotypical character is meant to make you chuckle a little, especially when the character is being played by the likes of Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, and Quentin Tarantino. The only questioning I have regarding the casting is why they felt the need to add Fergie, a singer, in this film. Thankfully she gets ripped apart by zombies, which is better than it sounds for the young "actress". I'd say she deserved it.

I like the look of this film. After watching "Death Proof" in all its "damaged screen quality" glory, I couldn't help but hope that "Planet Terror" could do the same exact thing. Thankfully it does. Aside from the look of the film to match its Grindhouse promises, the film sports impressive production design. The zombies look really gross and sometimes the film is even funny on a visual level. The gore is often times gratuitous, but that's the point. It fits in well with the undead premise of the film, and maybe that's why so much zombie blood is spilled. Anyways, you could say that I love it. If there was one more thing aside from the entertainment factor that sets "Planet Terror" apart from "Death Proof" to the point where it's better than that very film, it would be the music. Rodriguez scored the film himself, and he did a fantastic job. I've got to say, I'm impressed with his work. My favorite track is the opening, which might just be one of the best movie openings for the modern age. I love it. Other than being artsy and awesome, "Planet Terror" is lastly, actiony. The flick has its share of explosions, but each and every one of 'em is interesting and fun. It's ridiculous and silly in the best of ways. Never has being cool been so much fun! Well, maybe it has. But you get the point. "Planet Terror" promised to entertain me and it did just that. I was interested throughout and I concluded that it's a better film than "Death Proof". Not by a whole mile, since "Death Proof" can hold its own as a solid flick, but "Planet Terror" is slightly more entertaining. There wasn't a dull moment, since there's not as much dialogue and more of the Grindhouse violence that Rodriguez promised. I can totally dig that.

Do not buy both "Grindhouse" films separately on their 2 disk DVD sets. Buy the complete package for the full experience. I have concluded that while it's not an amazing two-parter, I really liked watching the "Grindhouse" films. I'll save the rest for my overview of the two films combined, and I'll stick with my opinion on "Planet Terror". I'm now even more anxious to see "Machete" since Robert Rodriguez can apparently hold his own as a director of pure madness. Good madness. I can't say that I love "Planet Terror"...but what the hell. I'm a movie nerd, for Christ sake. I can take it, and I can most certainly dig it. I can't imagine that any fan of such films will be disappointed as you should know what to expect out of a movie like this; entertainment and fun galore. I expected just that and luckily Rodriguez was able to respect my hopes. I would recommend "Planet Terror" and even "Death Proof" to just about anyone expecting a fun, cinematic ride through the destructive and unrestrained minds of two darkly imaginative men. I like the fact that both Tarantino and Rodriguez can come together and make a wholesomely promising two-parter that manages to bring back something like "The Grindhouse" in all its exploitive glory. It takes two big men to do something like that. Two big men indeed. And Tarantino and Rodriguez are more than up to the challenge, as it turns out.