Dead Snow Red vs Dead 2014 BluRay 720p DTS x264-CHD
It’s hard to believe that “Dead Snow” debuted over five years ago, but director Tommy Wirkola had more pressing career matters to tend to instead of mounting a sequel right away. Testing the Hollywood experience with “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” Wirkola secured an unlikely hit movie, but also found his creativity zip-tied by industry power plays. To help reclaim some of his old mojo, the helmer has returned to his old Nazi-zombies stomping grounding with “Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead,” a ruthless and hilarious follow-up that feels more like a purging of filmmaking frustration than a straight-up continuation, with its blitzkrieg approach to gore and slapstick easily topping the original effort, while showing off exactly what type of mischief Wirkola can muster.
Surviving the original Nazi zombie attack by returning stolen gold to leader Herzog (Orjan Gamst), Martin (Veger Hoel) is horrified to learn that doctors have mistakenly replaced his severed arm with his undead enemy’s magical limb. Realizing that Herzog and his ghoulish troops are set to topple a quiet Norwegian village, Martin springs into action, teaming up with the Zombie Squad, an online monster-fighting trio from America aching for their first real taste of conflict, with Daniel (Martin Starr), Monica (Jocelyn DeBoer), and Blake (Ingrid Haas) completely unaware of actual danger. Realizing the only way to slaughter the Nazis is to retaliate with an equally large force of zombies, Martin and the Zombie Squad manage to resurrect a Russian military force previously enslaved by Herzog, setting out to restart a war.
While imaginatively manufactured with intense gore zone visits and diverting snow-covered locations, “Dead Snow” felt a little flat, unable to match its lunatic premise with a satisfying jolt. The “Evil Dead”-inspired madness was appreciable but rarely thrilling, finding this directorial impotence seeping into “Hansel and Gretel,” another genre extravaganza with little command of its working parts. “Dead Snow 2” arrives with a clear attitude that nothing is going to stand in its way, finding Wirkola working out his professional issues with this nasty effort, using Herzog’s reign of terror as an excuse to stage incredibly violent conflicts and mishaps, with children, the physically handicapped, and senior citizens not spared when it comes time for the Nazis to begin taking lives, while Martin initially has difficulty understanding his new arm and the power it contains. Wirkola is making a gruesome feature, but not an angry one, making sure a comedic tone is always available to “Dead Snow 2” to help the audience embrace the cartoony carnage, not recoil from it.
If the original effort was a Sam Raimi tribute, “Dead Snow 2” takes its cues from early Peter Jackson movies, developing a bloodbath atmosphere punctuated by silly business involving the geeky passions of the Zombie Squad, who bring their love of “Star Wars” to Norway as they get involved in Martin’s fight. The Nazis have more to work with in the sequel, looting a WWII museum along the way, which gifts them a tank, while Herzog uses his powers of resurrection to recruit more undead along the way, building a true army. Also involved in the conflict are the local police, who haven’t dealt with a murder in decades, suddenly faced with a fantasy war zone the captain compares to video game, soon realizing that the only way to survive the afternoon is to get out of the way. Wirkola shows a righteous command of pace and comic timing, and his love for make-up effects and gore lights up every scene, finding the flinging of intestines once again his weapon of choice when decimating select enemies. The rest are pummeled into red pudding.
“Dead Snow 2” never fatigues or stops the big show, displaying an unexpected confidence from Wirkola, who wisely builds on the previous picture instead of recycling its best parts. Reaching farcical heights at times, the sequel manages its madness quite well, extending to the final scene of the movie, which makes a fantastic joy ride of bloody guts and growling Germans positively irresistible in its barnstorming romanticism. Wirkola the director finally matches Wirkola the film fan here, cooking up a riotous extravaganza that’s incredibly fun to watch unfold. Or perhaps explode is more apt description.
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