Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

I love a little comedy in my horror. That's probably why I love movies like Shaun of the Dead, Grabbers, and Tucker and Dale vs Evil. They use a lot of classic horror movie ideas but make them their own by mixing in a lot of classic comedic moments. And I apologize to my fellow Americans, but I think our neighbors across the pond have a great handle on this genre. Movies like Shaun of the Dead, Grabbers, Attack the Block, and Cockneys vs Zombies are quickly becoming some of my favorite films.

The Premise

Two brothers and their cousin have decided to rob a bank in order to save their grandfather's convalescent home from being torn down. The problem is, they haven't enlisted the most competent people to help them and the East End of London is being over run by hordes of zombies. Now they have to make it back to the retirement home, hostages in tow, to save their grandfather before zombies eat them all.

My Take

I love my grandpa and would totally rob a bank to save his arse. Especially if he was as gritty and spirited as the way Alan Ford plays Ray. Ray is the grandfather Terry, Andy and Katy are robbing the bank when zombies are released from a tomb on a construction site. The poor inept bank robbers accidentally end up with more money than they intend to and are surrounded by police. Mental Mickey, played by Ashley Bashy Thomas, decides to take hostages and comes out of the bank, guns blazing, only to find out that zombies have done the job for them. The police have either been eaten or have turned into zombies themselves. The only thing they can think to do is to go rescue their grandpa.

Of course, things are never that simple. People are lost on the way, sometimes through really bizarre circumstances. Poor Davey. The elderly get trapped in their retirement home and have to fight their way through zombies with walkers, canes, and corn flakes. The dialogue is hilarious and there were several times we had to pause the movie because we didn't want to miss anything simply because we were laughing so hard.

I loved Michelle Ryan, who played Katy. She is a fantastic female lead. She kicked butt and managed to still be sexy. Rasmus Hardiker and Harry Treadaway were very good as the two brothers, Terry and Andy. Their chemistry was such that when they argued, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences, they managed to make it feel natural. Emma, the hostage played by Georgia King, made me laugh several times. And,of course, the cast wouldn't be complete without mentioning the elderly heroes, Honor Blackman, Tony Selby, Georgina Hale, Dudley Sutton and Richard Briers. You guys can protect me any day.

The Verdict

I felt that Cockneys vs Zombies set out to do what it wanted to do. They made an entertaining film about zombies and the importance of family. It made me laugh. I loved the script and the direction. The special
effects were good, but sometimes they were either over the top or a little lagging for me. But, having never seen a zombie up close, who am I to criticize? This is a movie I will be adding to my next "Must Watch List". I give Cockneys vs Zombies 7/10 rolling zombie heads.

I do have one question, though. Being American, I have no idea what the tagline, "The undead are brown bread" means. Perhaps one of you can be so kind as to explain it to me?