4 stars for this refreshingly different zombie film.
Following on from the success of The Dead, which saw our hero battle his way across the wastes of Africa, fighting off the undead along the way, comes The Dead 2. Written and directed by the Ford Brothers, Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford (Distant Shadow, Mainline Run), the action this time has switched continents and now takes place in India.
Our hero is Nicholas Burton (Joseph Millson -Casino Royale, I Give It A Year), an American engineer, in India under contract to build and maintain wind farms. During his time in India he has met and fallen in love with Ishani (Meenu Mishra), who lives in the slums of Mumbai, 300 miles away from the rural area where his is currently working.
When his girlfriend calls him with the happy news that she is pregnant, the moment is rather spoiled by a disturbing development, people are beginning to engage in cannibalism country-wide and strange things are happening. After warning her to go to her home and stay there, he makes the decision to travel across country to get to Mumbai and save both her and his unborn child.
This is how he finds himself travelling with a young orphan called Javed (Anand Goyal), who has explored extensively and is able to guide them through the treacherous terrain.
However, problems may await him in Mumbai, as the crowded slums are now packed with zombies and his girlfriend is locked in a flat with her father (Sandip Datta Gupta), who is very angry at him about the baby, and her mother (Poonam Mathur), who has been bitten.
If you are a die hard fan of zombie films, then this might not be the one for you. There is plenty of explicit gore and mutilation, but there is also a fairly strong love story element to it, as well as the relationship between Nicholas and Javed, which some might consider to detract from the action. However I felt that it added a certain charm and a personal twist to the film that this genre almost always lacks.
The zombies are as expected, they move at the appropriate speed, arms outstretched and make all the right noises. My one complaint would be that it is quite irritating how every zombie turns at the same rate, except for the loved ones of the main character. Consistency please!
A plus point for The Dead 2 has to be the locations. It gives a totally different feel to the piece and the constant switching of the action from the swarming back streets of Mumbai, to the desolate and haunting countryside of India is quite unnerving and adds greatly to the enjoyment. There is also a great soundtrack provided by Imran Ahmad (The Dead, Done In), unlikely sounding, but lends itself perfectly to the film.
A very good film this, a credit to the genre and well worth adding to your collection.
“You’re a preacher father. You have taught us. You have taught others. Is this the Karma we have created for ourselves? This mindless walking dead. Is this the perfection of the soul that we have been striving to achieve for thousands of years?”
The Dead 2 is available to buy on DVD from 13th July 2015.
| Director | Howard J. Ford, Jonathan Ford |
| Genre | Horror |
| Starring | Joseph Millson, Meenu Mishra, Anand Goyal, Sandip Datta Gupta, Poonham Mathur |
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