Movie Review: Cockneys vs Zombies

Cockneys vs Zombies

Starring: Rasmus Hardiker, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Ryan, Jack Doolan, Georgia King, Ashley Thomas, Tony Gardner, Alan Ford, Honor Blackman, Tony Selby , Georgina Hale, Dudley Sutton, Richard Briers, Natalie Walter, Phil Cornwell, Josh Cole, Gary Beadle, Finlay Robertson, Elizabeth Webster, Joan Hodges, Michael Maris, David Ajao, Elena Argiros, Jonathan Stephenson, Dexter Fletcher, Dannielle Brent, George Brooks, Hayden Brandrith

Director: Matthias Hoene

Kintop, Limelight, Molinare, Tea Shop & Film Company, United Kingdom, 2012.

Two construction workers find an old grave in East London. They free an ancient zombie that bites them. Meanwhile two good-hearted but clumsy Cockney lads Terry (Rasmus Hardiker) and Andy (Harry Treadaway) work delivering food to an old people's home. Their grumpy grandad Ray (Alan Ford) also lives there. The retirement home is under the threat of being demolished.

Terry and Andy

Grandad Ray

Katy and Davey

Terry and Andy plan to rob a bank with Davey (Jack Doolan), Mental Mickey (Ashley Thomas) and cousin Katy (Michelle Ryan) to save the retirement home. The robbery goes better than expected. Almost. As the police arrive Mickey takes two hostages, Clive (Tony Gardner) and Emma (Georgia King). Meanwhile Ray and Peggy (Honor Blackman) must defend the retirement home from zombie attack. The bank robbers get away because the zombies attack the police.

Mental Mickey

Zombies attack

Peggy

After series of mishaps the survivors head to the retirement home to save Ray. They have a selection of guns for arming the old people who prove to be effective zombie-killers! Ray may be old but he is a tough Cockney!

Situation analysis

Emma, Clive and Mickey

Retirement home under siege

The movie is a working combination of crime comedy and zombie film. The dialogue is lively with Cockney slang and rhyming. Although the idea of zombie apocalypse is getting old, the movie has an original style and there is a lot of oh-so-British humour. Title scenes are stylishly animated with catchy songs fitting the theme of the movie perfectly. The zombie fights with the bank robbers are more gory by nature and the ones in retirement home are more comical. The zombies are old school slow, which gives the pensioners a better chance to fight back. There is also the slowest zombie chase ever.

Slowest zombie chase ever

The retirement home residents are a good cast of British veteran actors, with Alan Ford (known for "Snatch)", Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger"), Tony Selby (known for many British TV-series), Georgina Hale (Ken Russell's "Mahler" and many TV-series), Dudley Sutton (Tinker in "Lovejoy") and Richard Briers ("Much Ado About Nothing" and many TV-series). Also the younger cast is good with colourful characters. This is a very entertaining horror-comedy in the style of "Shaun of the Dead"and "Zombieland".

Eric and his Uzi

Ray is one tough Cockney

Rating: Very good