17/29
The script for this film was originally titled “Zombiroo”; According to Michael Biehn
Synopsis
A young sheriff obsessed with living up to his dead father’s legacy is put to the test when the locals are found ripped apart. After a series of strange deaths, the head of a small town’s local wildlife unit tries to put strained relations with his dead father aside to deal with the strange animal responsible . . . .
This was a fun, if somewhat problematic creature feature
The main feature of this is a pretty strong setup that allows for some nice world building within this community. Featuring the usual assortment of quirky small town denizens who carry this kind of story with a bunch of locals who are all set and live and know each other pretty well. This allows for a great support group that can flex around the center. a departure from the relationship problems that burden his work. This is an attempt to overcome the stigma of the past with a struggle to secure the city during this latest series of attacks.
much to like
This creates a compelling mystery after the strange attacks and extremely funny action in the second half. There are some big factors that keep this in check. One of the biggest drawbacks is the distinct lack of appropriate tone throughout here, where it takes itself too seriously about what’s going on. The idea of such a daring creature, with a zombified kangaroo running loose in a small-town community of quirky locals, calls for such a wild series of set-ups that are constantly interested in how the creature plays rampage. However, here we get far too much melodrama about the family relationship that is the focus of the film and it’s really hard to stay invested in the story when it’s not centered on a killer kangaroo rampaging through town.
flash rather than anything else
that it really struggles to keep the event wild. Another major drawback here is the lack of creature action that occurs when it chooses to focus on creature action. Several scenes are cold in concept and setting, mostly involving a team in the wilderness who have a hint that something is out there but aren’t sure if anything is going to happen, which dominates the admittedly fun second half, but that’s the extent of it. This never allows for the wild action promised in the setup, and far too many of the earlier rampages are done off-screen instead of dealing with anything on-screen, as the kills are barely presented until the end and most of them are brief. These factors are all enough to lower this.
See more in our October calendar!
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language. The final season of “What We Do in the Shadows”; is one of the biggest TV and streaming premieres this month.