Planet Terror is one of the best horror films I have seen to date. It has all the action, blood, guts and gore to satisfy any fan of the horror genre for months. What Robert Rodriguez has created here is a masterpiece. One of which many horror fans will be talking for a very long time.
There is a lot going on in Planet Terror; it’s a story that has a very complexed, yet simple plot. But it’s one of those film where you need to pay attention to the overall storyline and each characters involvement with in the overall plot.
In a nutshell the film is about a scientist who has created some kind of chemical weapon, one which turns normal civilians into brain eating monsters. A platoon of solders lead by Bruce Willis have been infected with the virus, but have managed to survive by breathing in a temporary vaccine though respirators that they wear. However the chemical is released during a dispute between the scientist and the platoon, when the platoon finds out that the specimens that they were there to pick up have escaped. Now with brain eating monsters on the run, and the chemical in the air the local town surrounding the army base is in for one hell of a night. Now a small group of survivors that seem to be immune to the chemical band together to fight the brain eating ghouls and make it out of the infected area alive.
Rodriguez wrote what is arguably one of the best possible horror script ever. It had all the essentials that make the perfect horror film. A hero, a heroine, brain eating monsters, the angry army platoon and it’s leader, the scientist, the mean ass sheriff, the old John Wayne like retired Sheriff, Tom Savini, a crazy doctor, his lesbian wife and the crazy BBQ cook. A simple effective plot and plenty of guns, gore, blood and violence. All the substances needed to make the perfect horror movie. I personally think it is by far one of the best written scripts I’ve ever seen.
As far as the acting goes, I can’t stress at how well the cast of this film was. Everyone from the leads to the supporting cast was nothing buy top notch. No one in particular stood out in the film, everyone acted in accordance with their character and the actors around them. I praise Rodriguez and his casting director for casting such a great cast for this film. Everyone acted as if they really were the characters they were playing. It was an overall great effort on the entire cast’s part.
There is a large mix of special effects in this film. There is some great stylistic make up effects, and then there is plenty of over the top CGI. Both look very good and fit the mood of the overall film. However don’t expect the effects to look like something that would be considered to look realistic. Because the effects have this b-movie feel to it, but in a sense that the colors of the blood and gore almost look to bright, this is either due to the fact that the MPAA sometimes will rate the film an R if the color of blood in the film does not resemble the that same true color of red that our blood looks likes when it hit’s oxygen. Or it could be just to give the feel of a film that played in the Grind houses back in the day.
The overall sets and production value of Plant Terror was nothing but top notch, there was not a lot of CGI when it came to the sets, and my god if there was it looked really good. You felt like you were part of a video game with all the great colors and the complexity of the sets, but you didn’t feel like you were watching one. One thing I also liked was the grindhouse look they gave the film as well, and whenever there a scene that was about to involve a steamy sex scene, that dreaded “Missing Reel” slate would pop up.
Overall; and I never thought I would ever say this about a mainstream film, but I think that Planet Terror was the perfect horror film. It had everything that a horror fan can ask for. I have always admired Robert Rodriguez as a filmmaker, he’s one of the guys who is leading the way in the high definition market. He has helped open the door for the “do it yourself” filmmakers. Planet Terror is proof that the best independent filmmakers can make a better horror film than the suits in Hollywood can, and give the true horror fans what they want.
– Horror Bob
Click Here to Read My Review for Death Proof and the mock trailers.
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
