The Gist:
Britain has been overthrown by zombies and the ‘plague’ is spreading quickly… but that won’t stop this gang heading to the infamous party island of Ibiza!
Alex (Jordan Coulson) and his mates, Az (Homer Todiwala) and Jim (Ed Kear) fly out to Ibiza in search of a good time and the ultimate party. According to a zombie tracker which Az obsessively checks, Ibiza is zombie free and still open for the invasion of partying tourists. It seems that nothing can stop these boys on their lad’s holiday; not even Alex’s ex-girlfriend, Ellie (Cara Theobold), can dampen their spirits.
But little do the gang know that a wave of the undead is headed straight for the party isle. When club owner Karl (Matt King) loses his incoming shipment of zombies straight from England, it’s not long before the zombies find themselves washed ashore, starving and ready to feast.
This lad’s holiday is abruptly torn apart when the zombies soon take over the island, trapping them in their villa with no way out. It’s not long before the infections begin to spread and their numbers start to drop.
Is anywhere truly safe in the midst of a zombie apocalypse?
The Review:
So… zombies… in Ibiza… where do I begin?
This film has been advertised as the “Inbetweeners meets Shaun of the Dead”, and I think that’s a very broad statement. Whoever decided to promote this film with that tagline really set up my expectations considering how critically acclaimed those two comedies are. I approached this film expecting a highly hilarious, completely original, story that would keep me entertained throughout. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
The comedic aspects presented during this film definitely represent the “lads lads lads” theme that underlays the plot. Throughout there are crude jokes towards women, constant references to drugs and sex, frequent selfie taking in serious moments, and the stereotypical ‘girl-on-girl’ action to try and attract a guy.
Call me old fashioned, but I would have preferred some proper British comedy that the audience was promised by comparing this film with Shaun of the Dead. Instead, the humour felt forced by an elder generation trying to relate with a younger one.
As for the plot of this film, I really couldn’t comprehend one… Sure, I understand that it was a lad’s holiday gone wrong merged with a typical zombie attack, but other than that it lacked any substance. The entire subplot with Karl’s nightclub – a nightclub where zombies are used as dancing girls and violent entertainment – and his secret shipments of zombies just doesn’t mesh with the overall storyline. Karl is barely vital to the central plot and the story’s climax would barely have changed if he were removed. What is a character if they have no effect on the events of a story?
This alternate world where this story takes place also infuriated me. Why was Britain the only place overrun by zombies? And how where they stopping this infection spread if they were still allowing people to fly in and out of the country? I know not all zombie films approach this subject but when we’re seeing an airport still in perfect operation at the start of the film, one has to ask.
The Verdict:
Believe me when I say that I truly tried to see the positive aspects of this film when writing this review. It’s just a lot harder to write positively when a film doesn’t offer you much to sing about.
Even during the scenes that one might deem ‘emotional’, I was let down until the very end. For most of the film, the female stars were forced into skimpy costumes to allow their male counterparts to make comments on their figures and to introduce sexual tension. I understand that the setting provides an opportunity for bikinis galore but this talk started even before they flew out to Ibiza.
Maybe it’s just my hatred for this kind of humour or the confusing world in which this story took place that has left me slightly disappointed… so there may be a chance of someone, who isn’t me, enjoying this film. This is the kind of film that I would recommend my 14-year-old brother watches. Not one I would willingly watch by myself again.
Can we just leave the zombie films to the professionals, please?
Director: Andy Edwards
Starring: Cara Theobold, Emily Atack, Algina Lipskis
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