Some people would say that the zombie craze, much like the vampire craze, has run its course in media. I would disagree, although I know that there are those who are more than likely to immediately give up when it comes to generating new ideas within the confines of the zombie genre. Enter Ryan Nagata and his film, Amigo Undead. Following in the footsteps of the modern classic Shaun Of The Dead, Nagata attempts to put humour into a zombie film while keeping the gory details. It’s a fine line to walk, for sure.
Kevin Ostorwski (Randall Park) is a financial adviser. He largely keeps to himself much of the time. Estranged from his lazy loser brother, Norm (Steve Agee), Kevin is surprised one day to receive an invitation from Norm to join him and several of Norm’s friends to celebrate Norm’s 40th birthday. The party in question is a camping trip in the desert. Upon Kevin’s arrival, Norm explains that they’ll be relaxing for a few days. That is, until one of Norm’s buddies, Jovan (Ed Galvez), chokes on a hot dog and dies, is accidentally shot by Norm’s other friend, Wayne (Michael McCafferty), and is buried in the desert. However, being buried on sacred Native American grounds is never a good thing, as Jovan rises up for an undead killing spree.
Mixing in the spirit of Shaun Of The Dead with a pinch of Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, Amigo Undead attempts to stand out with it’s humour (it’s a comedy, after all) and largely succeeds. While not as over-the-top gory as Jackon’s classic (nor does it intend to be), the film definitely doesn’t take itself seriously. Being that the reanimated Jovan is of the slow, lumbering types, his former friends end up having to try and dispose of him in increasingly drastic ways. Jovan isn’t the only victim, however, as he gets in on the creative fun as well. One such instance evokes a scene from Lam Ngai Kai’s Story Of Ricky, which has Jovan using a victim’s intestines to strangle them.
Helping to sell the humour is the acting. While Park and company don’t match up with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost et al, they still manage to keep things together and sell the humour while maintaining their fear. Park is the straight man of the film, pulling off awkward moments (such as a sales pitch gone astray) and no-so-awkward moments (such as blowing Jovan up and making reference to Terminator 2) with ease. Agee is also quite good as Norm, looking and acting the part of a slacker idiot. He provides the bulk of the humour, and hits it much of the time. Ed Galvez must have relished the part as Jovan. Acting like a zombie might seem simple, but Galvez really nails the part, hitting the timing of visual jokes with ease. The cop car scene where Jovan taunts the group is a great example, and shows how much he enjoyed the role.
On the downside, the film falters in spots. Given the low budget nature, there are obvious continuity errors (such as disappearing blood splatters) and blatantly obvious CGI. There are also moments where the humour falls flat, particularly with Ian (Josh Fadem), the “dumbass drug guy in a horror movie”. While that self-referential line at a deserted gas station was funny, there were moments that Fadem’s timing and execution of the stoner lines was off. Largely though, the film’s biggest flaw is that after the credits, there’s nothing that will stay with you. Sure, the humour grabs your attention, but in the end, it’s ultimately forgotten. It also doesn’t help that Comedy is a fickle beast, and I have to give credit to Nagata and George Edelman for crafting an enjoyable and entertaining screenplay. But ultimately, the film lacks that key ingredient to remain with the audience after it’s over.
I can’t say that I was disappointed with Amigo Undead, as it was a fun ride, overall. The humour didn’t hit all of the right notes, and there was nothing really to warrant a repeat viewing. However, the humour that did hit, and a cast that helped to sell everything and keep it together, made up for it. It’s not going to be a film that attains the status of Shaun, but it does showcase the talent that Nagata, Park and company have, and will absolutely burgeon into something bigger for them in the future.
