2009
Rated: Unrated
Genre: Horror Comedy
Directed By: Johnny K. Wu
Running Time: 34 Minutes
Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr.
Review Date: 10/6/09

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JEAN CLAUDE: THE GUMMING ZOMBIE

 

As far as I see it what with the surge of zombedies is that a horror comedy has to be funny and has to be scary. The symbiosis between the vastly different genres is a formula that's very rarely accomplished. "The Gumming Zombie" has the best intentions in being a different kind of horror comedy basing its comic release on the mention that the film is very low budget and makes a special point in letting us know what's artificial and shabby and what isn't, which leaves the movie to feel less comedic and more flat. There isn't many things that this film accomplishes as it fails to be funny and horrific and just seems to wing it from minute one.

There's almost no explanation as to why zombies are rising, no explanation as to why we had to have the narrator show up in the opening and when considered, it just feels like a way to explain the story without having to do any work. Worse more the movie feels like a complete rip off of "Fido," another movie about a suburban wholly inept family living in a picturesque neighborhood during the zombie apocalypse who take in a zombie to use as a pet and friend.  

Coincidental or not, the similarities yanked me right out of the narrative from get go. While I enjoy with director Johnny K. Wu does with his films, his streak of sleek fantasy and action comes to a screeching halt as this movie fails to derive even the slightest chuckle and just focuses on being as irritating as possible. From the performances to the horrid soundtrack, it's all a messy derivative horror comedy that doesn't even come close to meshing both genres, nor does it ever seem to know how. It's just too familiar and crude to enjoy [even when you consider the low budget] even at lowering yourself to its level of stupidity, and it's definitely not one of the best horror comedies I've ever seen.

From writing to acting to (yes) direction, "The Gumming Zombie" is a flat and failed attempt at a horror comedy and almost purposely yanks the audience out of the narrative with its self deprecating humor and self aware jabs at the production. Director Wu is capable of a lot more than a comedy about a toothless zombie and he proves it here.

 

 

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