Good but overrated

Rating: 7/10 (23 November 2017)

When I sit to watch zombie movie I expect horror, action, maybe even comedy, I expect B production and certain level of frivolity. Instead, Train to Busan brings A production and very serious drama. Essentially, this is not a zombie movie. This is movie about human relations and what they become in state of panic. Story that is seen many times before, but it's usually placed in war or natural disaster surrounding, while here they placed it in zombie apocalypse. This is not original story, this is just somewhat original mash-up of pretty much outworn clichés. Mash-up of disaster drama and zombie apocalypse we already have in Walking Dead. Walking Dead + Snowpiercer = Train to Busan. So, it's definitely not original. Further, action part of the story is painfully dumb. again we have bunch of people acting stupid and illogical in order to stretch movie to two hours. Most obvious example are survivors piercing through wagons crowded with zombies. In every new wagon they find different way to get from back to front door, risking their lives again and again. The only goal of those inventive new solutions is to fill half of the movie with thrilling action, while there is simple, obvious and safe solution put aside as it does not exist. Simply tell driver to stop the train in next tunnel (cause zombies attack only people they clearly see), then leave the train through door, walk outside the train to desired wagon, enter it and journey can be continued. Logical, practical, safe, but also a scene that would last just a few minutes and deprived us of the most exciting part of the movie. Stupidity and illogicality in service of agony prolongation is something we are used to in most of horror movies, but in serious drama it simply doesn't hold. Technically and visually it's well done and personal drama is deep and strong, but overall this is unoriginal movie with stupid plot and bunch of redundant action. And it does not have even H of horror.
6,5/10