Gangsters, Guns & Zombies (2012) Reviews

• starts good but falls apart after a while

  trashgang2012-08-28

  I was looking forward to see this UK zombedy. Comedy coming out of the UK is mostly always big fun. Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009), Doghouse (2009) were fun but sadly this one here I can't add to that list. It all looked so well from the start but the further you move into this flick the worser it get. The funny parts just doesn't work and adding a bit of romance made it all boring too. The first minutes did work when a bunch of gangsters are confronted with zombies but after a while we do see the same again and again. The acting was mediocre. Things what should be funny (the part with the grandma and stepdaughter) wasn't funny at all. I must say that some shots were nicely done like the camera added on a gun while shooting a zombie looked great and even reminded me of The Evil dead (1981). What bothered me the most was the use of CGI for blood in some shots. When the end credits are running you can see that they had fun making this flick, sadly it wasn't funny for the viewer. It did had all elements to make it absurd but it never did. It's like the title says, it's about gangsters, they do use guns and sometimes there are zombies running around and attacking but the cohesion between the three wasn't there. Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 1/5

• Way better than expected

  momo-1122012-10-07

  Briefly said, a van full of bank robbers have their getaway complicated by the oncoming zombie holocaust. This movie was a pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting a B movie. Especially since I found the title on a list of 'B' thrillers. What I found was a very well done flick that fit my mood to a tee. First thing to note is this is clearly in Guy Ritchie style (as in Lock Stock or Snatch). Now there is a fine line between cheap knock off, spoof and tribute. It mostly depends on how faithfully a style is recreated and it's underlying quality. The Ritchie style hits you right from the opening credits. Slick graphic credits interrupting brisk action sequences while the protagonist narrates, followed up by a by a cast of stereotypical British gangsters, each introduced by the narrator. It's a good imitation and I rate it a tribute. If you aren't fond of Rithchie's style you won't like this one either. I found the characters amusing, original and endearing (you gotta love grandma). Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality. Direction, cinematography, acting, writing, sound all above par. Well, one exception. If you are making a zombie movie, it might be judicious to employ the services of a make-up artist. Or, at the very least, insist that your extras pay a visit to the local costume shop at their own expense. It would be easy to criticize the finale which seems more like a cast party than a conclusion. But, think about it, there's only one end to a zombie flick. The zombies kill everyone. Isn't that what's meant by Apocalypse? If you took the trouble to search for this title, the answer is "Yes". Well worth a look see.

• Must try harder.

  BA_Harrison2014-05-17

  2012 UK horror/comedy Cockneys vs Zombies was a pleasant surprise—gory, funny, well paced, with a great cast—but this particular instance of East-end geezers against the living dead, which came out the same year, is far less successful. Gangsters, Guns & Zombies sees a group of bank-robbers fleeing the scene of the crime only to find themselves caught in a zombie outbreak that has swept the country. Driving to their safe-house, they witness countless attacks on the living by the dead, and decide to head to the coast. On the way, they are forced to make several stops that put their lives in peril. The main problem with Gangsters, Guns & Zombies is that, while the gangsters are on the road—which is the majority of the time—not a lot of interest happens, and when they do stop the van, little occurs to make the film stand out from the countless other low budget zombie flicks out there. It's the same old same old. The film adds comedy to try and help matters, but the humour is fairly lame, and there's not nearly enough splatter to keep things interesting. While there are definitely worse zombie films out there, films like this really do have to try harder to distinguish themselves from the competition.

• Go rob a post office....

  FlashCallahan2014-03-09

  I love Zombie movies. The whole sub-genre is a wonderful idea, and the past few years or so has helped and hindered this beloved creature. But for every Night Of The Living Dead, there is a Day Of The Dead remake, and for every Shaun Of The Dead, there are trashy films like this. The first big flaw in the films, is that the Zombies are not the main focus. I know the makers of this film are trying to focus more on the main characters, but the outbreak of the Flesh Eaters, is never elaborated on, and they just end up as pale people running up toward the Van every five or ten minutes. The characters are your bland, run of the mill individuals you see in every crime movie from here to the east end. And are they the carbon copy lot you've seen all the time. Its a group of profane men, who have nothing relevant to say, driving to nowhere, for an hour, and that's the main narrative of the film. We then follow the group to a windmill,where they bump into an old grandma, who swears way too much, because hey! to the makers this is comedy gold, everyone finds profane old people funny. Fair dues to the makers, its a shoestring budget of a film, and I was surprised at the budget, but really, they should have spent more time on a decent script, rather than an exploitative title.

• good zombie fun with a lock stock and two smoking barrel feel

  nicksdopedroid2012-09-08

  I found this movie to be highly entertaining even with its low budget. It had everything you could want in a zombie flick. Random death scenes in the midst of character and situational development, decent gore given the budget, good use of cg, and the wholesome family fun a UK made for US comedy. It has blatant racism, giant English bank robbers who steal your heart, back stabbers, and pretty boys who have a touch of insanity. The situation is thrown in your face without reason similar to how things would really go down and have gone down in other zombie movies. The whole romance part this other person is complaining about isn't until you feel the need for it and I am guessing that they are just alone in life and cannot tolerate passion in times of crisis even though that has been proved time and time again in reality. I mean if I am gonna potentially get eaten by zombies and a decent looking English babe comes my way, far be it from me to try to woo her into going heels to Jesus....just saying. Come one, I mean what more could you ask for??? The people who gave this a low rating have a different taste in zombie films, or films in general. Give this a shot, have a shot, and enjoy!