Dead Heads (Review)

dead headsWhen Mike awakens with no recollection of his recent past to discover he is surrounded by shuffling zombies he is understandably shocked. This incredible development is almost instantly relegated to old news with the realisation that Mike himself is one of the flesh chewing undead… In fact Mike instantly resents the very implication, after all he is still capable of both speech and independent thought. That sudden craving for the brains of others is a worry though.

Brent has a little more experience being a zombie. He has had time to rationalise and digest his thoughts and essentially has come to terms with his lot. Now it is time to make the best of a pretty bad situation.

But Mike is stubborn. Even after he accepts his pulse free status, he still demands that they track down his fiancĂ© to… I mean what would you do? Hi honey, pleased to see you’re ok.

And by the way I’m a zombie. What say we hit the riverbanks with a bottle of wine and listen to Frank Sinatra? Have you ever thought about the stars?

Seems like a no win situation.

The seeming futility of the quest is further complicated by the fact that people don’t take too kindly to your kind in these parts (the zombie part, not the race), and that Brent appears just as useless and irresponsible as a zombie as he no doubt was when alive and slacking.

This original premise offers hope for another successful zombie-comedy. However it almost instantly kills all momentum by devolving into your run of the mill road movie, a la Zombieland, albeit without the thrills and laughs.

Mike and Brent pick up travelling companions in the form of a kindly, horny old man and his ‘pet’ zombie, and attract unwelcome attention from trigger happy rednecks and , more troublingly, a ruthless and seasoned hunter.

After the duo (and friends) hit the road the problems become more evident. Some play their roles as normal people in an abnormal situation others go the cartoonish route, some woefully overstep the mark to the point that you want them to cease and desist all hamminess.

Dead Heads is well meaning and has a decent premise, only the execution is middling and the end result instantly forgettable. Just another horror-comedy aspirant to be filed under ‘nice try’.

Final Rating – 6 / 10. Everything the poster suggests is true. In this case that’s not such a great thing.

About OGR

While I try to throw a joke or two into proceedings when I can all of the opinions presented in my reviews are genuine. I don't expect that all will agree with my thoughts at all times nor would it be any fun if you did, so don't be shy in telling me where you think I went wrong... and hopefully if you think I got it right for once. Don't be shy, half the fun is in the conversation after the movie.
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