The zombie war is over. Humans won, and now the shambling dead can be found only in one place – an exclusive, expensive resort off the coast of Africa. There, tourists can match themselves against a (carefully-secured) zombie horde, seeking thrills or revenge.
The resort has state-of-the-art security. The illusion of danger is nothing more than that; as long as the fences and restraints hold, no guest has anything to fear. The resort is run with almost military efficiency by armed guards.
Obviously, the security fails and zombies overrun the island. It is always the way.
This is not a particularly violent film; what violence there is is somewhat neutered – people get bitten, and zombies get shot, but such acts are swift and not dwelt on, without impact. It has a 15 rating, so this softening makes sense, but I think it’s a mistake for a film about the living dead, in which the tension depends on the audience’s terror and sense of danger.
Like many zombie films, most of the characters are extremely stupid. They makes last stands when the exit is clear, wait near open windows with zombies on the other side. They design parks with security systems that fail in the least graceful manner possible. With that said, this film does think through the consequences of its setup, which I appreciate; plot holes are present, but minimised.
The Rezort is very consciously filmed, in a way that I don’t particularly care for. The camera is a physical presence in the film, shaking and rushing and occasionally splattered by blood. I understand that such things are the fashion, but they’re too mannered for my tastes.
Ultimately, this is a forgettable by-the-numbers zombie film, briefly enlivened by the whole Jurassic Park angle. It spends a lot of time on the plot, but not much on the action, failing to create enough of a sense of tension to match the setting. It’s not terrible, and it tries for a somewhat original plot, but the whole thing lack impact.
Inconsistent Pacing 