Movie Review: "Cockneys vs. Zombies" (2012, Bishop Rock Films Limited/Scream Factory)

...the cross-melding of movie genres and situations, if one really considers it, it very much like dating; in the onset, there might be an alluring amount of initial novelty to the pairing, but unless there's good chemistry between the seemingly ideal, albeit possibly unconventional match...well, the melding might be hard-pressed to adhere and work. However, when that good and amiable chemistry does take place, it often amusingly turns the associated genres and situations on their ear, and becomes a matter of the sum of the parts being very much greater than the singular parts themselves. Nothing could be closer to the truth, when it comes to playing the genre-matching 'what if' game with zombie movies. Zombie comedies...zombie romances...zombie westerns...zombie babies...zombie surfers...zombie chickens...vegan zombies...zombies vs. vampires...zombies vs. strippers...zombies at Christmas...zombies vs. Lincoln...and so on. One might ask, what hasn't been explored?? Once again, as this viewer has pointed before, it remains enlightening that each and every time one has coined the 'zombie' genre tired, worn out, shot in the head, dead and buried, someone manages to breath new, undead life into the cinematic living dead. And with the outrageously irreverent and zany 2012 zombie comedy, "Cockneys vs. Zombies", this time it's the working class 'everyman', as well as the surprisingly able-bodied geriatric, who take on the living dead...with an approach and attitude, which might just seem inspirationally familiar, in a surprisingly refreshing way, to those closely privy and devoted to the genre...

 ...London east-ender brothers Terry and Andy...despite their deteminant, albeit reckless & arrogent well-intentions, and in proving that the nuts don't fall too far from the tree, family-wise...are at the indelible horns of dilemma. It seems that the retirement home, where their grandfather...an acidically quick-witted, quick-lipped and resourceful ex-gangster named Ray...presently resides, is on the cusp of being demolished by money-grubbing property developers; in an effort to avert the demolition from happening, Terry, Andy and an eclectic clique of thrill-seeking friends & distant relatives of theirs, conspire to plan and carry out a daring bank robbery, in an effort to procure the necessary funds, which will save the retirement home. When the proposed robbery threatens to go sour, as the result of the bank alerting local law enforcement, Terry and Andy's crew take hostages, in a desperate escape bid; however, on route to the bank, in response to the alert, the impending police force run afoul and become victims of an attacking force of voraciously hungry dead...themselves, victims of a growing plague, which originated from the desecration of a 300 year-old cemetery tomb, by construction workers...

 ...meanwhile, over at the retirement home, deterring the efforts of the demolition crew, as well as the nefarious land owners, take a backseat to a much more horrifically pressing problem; it seems that the zombie plague has spread towards the immediate area, and the living dead proceed to lay siege upon the old age home. Willingly engaging a defense of their home...no matter who or what threatens that sanctity...an angst and disgusted Ray valiantly leads his fellow geriatrics against the zombie horde, taking a fortified defense in the retirement home, all while picking off their would-be attackers, one by one...

...heavily arming themselves from the attacking zombie horde, and commandeering a conveniently readied, double-decker bus...Terry, his brother, the surviving members of their crew, as well as the reluctant, albeit willing hostages make a desperate attempt to reach the retirement home, in hopes of finding survivors therein. Who will be left on both sides, what will become of them...and where will they go, as the world continues to go to hell.....

...at some time, has any out there in this fine reading audience, by chance, attempted to partake of the tasty juices of a lime, but while doing so...Whoa!! The taste...now, a banana!! Nobody?? OK, maybe it was just this viewer, mixing his Rockstars with wood stain lacquer; however, cinematically, in engaging a film as totally outrageous as "Cockneys vs. Zombies", such an unexpected relevation of surprise is actually not that far removed, by comparison. I mean, give it a lookee here!! In the onset of this outrageous trite of a film, there's no mistaking the measure of irreverent flavor and tongue-in-cheek inspiration, clearly derived by the eclectic stylings of Guy Ritchie. However, a funny thing happened on the way into this gruelling, albeit laugh-instilling zombie battlefest: a 180-degree turn-around in flair, style, attitude and humor, very much reminiscent of the early work of director Peter Jackson (...a la, "Bad Taste", for instance). It's a striking contrast, which very much makes this little zom-com ditty, absolutely rock...

...as amusingly intriguing as this outrageous premise is, it is the well-written, rapid-fire dialog and well balance of comedy & action, which uphelds this alternately and unconventionally faceted & irreverent zombie episode. The grappling and bantering vocal exchange between the rag-tag band of inept bank robbers, especially between the two brotherly protagonists (...Ramus Hardiker, most recently of 2011's "Your Highness", and up & coming actor Harry Treadaway), might be frustrating to witness, considering what they're attempting to accomplish...be it the ensuing robbery, or the gruesome zombie encounter; however, it's that 'take-an-impromptu-moment-to-be-arguementive-in-the-midst-of-disaster', which makes these characters amusingly engaging. With these characters, the heart is assuredly there, but the brain sometimes isn't...though that engaging charater flaw hardly keeps them from not 'getting it done', so to speak...suggesting that perhaps blind luck plays a factor in their desperation...

...but the standout character herein, just has to be Ray (...brilliantly portrayed by veteran actor Alan Ford), , the once mob-connected driving force, over at the sieged old age home. It is his brunt, no nonesense attitude...not to mention his over-the-top unbridled use of foul language...which most viewer will rally behind. Ray is clearly the survivor here, and once his fellow geriatrics latch onto his survivalist rhythm, it becomes yet another amusing sight to behold, in seeing that these able-bodied old folk can very much handle themselves, regardless of their 'foes', be they the money-grubbing property developers, or an army of the flesh-hungry living dead (...though, some of the more cluelessly aged herein, make these ghastly proceedings, all the more riotous). And standing along side ol' Ray, as the zombies lay siege...Say what?? Is that Honor Blackman, deftly welding that automatic?? I mean, the 'Bond girl' Pussy Galore, herself?? Why, yes it is, folks...beautifully aged & seasoned...and in playing up alongside Alan Ford's strong, albeit acidically vocal character, she assuredly manages to hold her own, quite well. You go, gal.....


...just when one considers that the zombie genre has dried up, withered away and run it's course, every once in a while, a refreshing take on the genre breathes new...or rather re-animating life into the well-worn zombie genre. With an equitable balance of wry, irreverent humor, 'dare-not-to-stop-and-breathe' level of action, as well as a generous amount of prerequisite blood and gore, "Cockneys vs. Zombies" most assuredly proves a most wildly incredulous and hilariously preposterous horror excursion. Given the possibility of laughing one's self into an unmitigated frenzy, in the midst of an unrelenting juggernaut of the undead...this one, without a doubt, bears checking out.....