Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Pandemic

Film Review by Kam Williams


Doctor Leads Rescue Team in Apocalyptic Zombie Flick


Laura (Rachel Nichols) managed to avoid getting infected by the virus that decimated the population of New York. Now the Center for Disease Control veteran is in L.A. where she's heading a rescue team assigned to find survivors among the masses of victims morphing into flesh-eating zombies right after dying from the fatal affliction. 
 
Dr. Laura also harbors faint hopes of finding her husband and daughter as she dons a bio-hazard suit before embarking on the dangerous mission. Her partners in the endeavor include itchy, trigger-fingered Gunner (Mekhi Phifer), nurse/navigator Denise (Missi Pyle) and ex-con Wheeler (Alfie Allen), the driver of their Department of Corrections school bus. 
 
As they leave the safe confines of the compound, Gunner warns Laura to "Think of it as a game." This advice comes in handy, since their vehicle is soon enough engulfed by a horde of hungry ghouls. In fact, Gunner gets to deliver the most memorable lines ("Ever play whack a mole?") in the way of comic relief. 
 
Directed by John Suits (The Scribbler), Pandemic is a cliche-ridden horror flick that borrows the bulk of its ideas from the zombie genre inaugurated by Night of the Living Dead in 1968. If you've never seen one of these movies before, you're likely to find this adventure fascinating. However, this low-budget offering doesn't hold a candle to the original or to such recent homages as Zombieland (2009) or World War Z (2013).

A paint-by-numbers production recommended for folks who can never get their fill of post-apocalyptic zombie fare.


Good (2 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 91 minutes
Studio: Parkside Pictures
Distributor: XLrator Media

To see a trailer for Pandemic, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivuuyw4xnks

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