Finally...a decent horror flick!

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2002)

Well it's about time! After plunking down good money to sit through crapola like "The Haunting" and "The House On Haunted Hill", it's refereshing to see a good horror flick come out that caters to this generation of "it's gotta be loud and it's gotta move fast". I would never compare this film to a "Night of the Living Dead", but I will say that for the matinee bucks that I paid for it, I got every cent worth.
I went into this film really looking for a good escape. I had very low expectations and really almost considered not even seeing it. But the main character is pretty hot and the trailor looked somewhat decent so I figured I would give it a shot. I'm glad I did! Low on plot development and high on pacing, this movie takes you on a good ride right from the start. Not being a "gamer", I had no idea what the video game is about and so I didn't really know what to expect (unlike "Tomb Raider", which I did know a little about, and WOW did THAT movie suck?). I was pleasantly suprised by the way they introduced the main character. She doesn't know who she is either, so as the film develops we learn more and more about her and this makes it easier for the viewer to fall into the general plot of the film. Very nicely done! The opening sequence was very cool! Stealing a bit of Stephen King's "The Stand" opening, and making it even more horrific.
The meat and potatoes of this film though is the audio. I saw this film with Dolby Surroundsound and it really kicks butt! The music is loud, there are movements behind your left ear, then it drifts over to your right. When a zombie drags a hammer on the ground, it really makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Kudos to whoever did the audio mix on this film! It is done to perfection! And the soundtrack is a perfect match for the pace. Marilyn Manson did this movie justice!
Another added feature to this movie, and it didn't occur to me until after I read some of the other reviews here on IMDB, is that there really isn't a lot of gore in this film. No blood splattering moments added for gratuitous reasons. Everything is suggested, which IS sort of odd for a modern day horror film. But sometimes suggesting it (such as the elevator scene starting the film) and/or showing it then cutting away (such as the now famous "slice & dice" scene in the hallway) are a much more effective way of freaking a viewer out!
Overall, I put this film up there with some of the all-time great popcorn horror films such as "Aliens", "Dawn of the Dead", and "Maximum Overdrive". Not a lot of thinking involved, just get ready to be freaked out a little bit and have a great time!