Best Horror Parody Since SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2012)

Good things come to those who wait, and I've waited for this movie for long enough. I'd wanted to see this movie from the first time I stumbled across the synopsis and learned that Alan Tudyk would be playing one of the title characters. Instant win. I knew there was little chance that this movie would be anything but awesome, and I was proved right when it was released at long last on home video (since I wasn't lucky enough to live in one of the few cities blessed with it's limited release). It's a new spin on the classic horror movie cliché of the deranged hillbillies terrorizing innocent victims in the woods. In this case, Tucker and Dale are a couple of good ol' boys heading out to the West Virginia wilderness to renovate Tucker's new vacation home/cabin in the woods. A handful of college students have also decided to make use of the backwoods for a camping trip, where they mistake the pair of bumbling rednecks as psycho killers. The misunderstanding leads to a series of unfortunate events where the college kids begin accidentally dying off in gruesome fashion, only solidifying their fear in the harmless hillbillies. TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL is equal parts comedy and horror movie in a perfect balance of the two genres from director Eli Craig (who hasn't really got much else under his belt, directing-wise). This movie is guaranteed to achieve cult status once word gets around about how awesome this movie is.
It's such a simple idea that I'm really surprised it hasn't been done before. It's just a simple 180º twist on the sort of horror we've seen in Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE or THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Tucker and Dale are a couple of simpletons played to perfection by Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine. They really just want to enjoy a simple vacation of fishing and renovations when the posse of judgmental college kids led by Chad (with his own dark side) arrive and fudge it all up. Alan Tudyk is awesome in pretty much anything I've seen him in. I honestly can't think of a single instance where his character was a weak spot in any film or TV show. He's given the spotlight as one of the title characters for once, and he makes an excellent redneck. Tucker is the more levelheaded, headstrong leader of the duo who's not really interested in the new arrivals and wishes they'd just have kept to themselves. Dale (Labine) is the socially inept doofus who develops a crush on beautiful Allison after rescuing her from a near drowning and essentially setting off the chain of bloody events. He steps into the hero role as he gradually comes out shell to Allison and stands up against Chad and his crew. Katrina Bowden fulfills her basic obligations as the blossoming love interest Allison, a beautiful girl with a hot cheerleader vibe and a heart of gold who's willing to overlook Tucker and Dale's social status. Of the remaining college crew, the only standout is of course Jesse Moss as Chad. The kid is demented and reeks of cheese, but his campiness suits the tone of the movie so you can't complain.
In my opinion, this is the best horror movie parody since Edgar Wright's SHAUN OF THE DEAD. It succeeds in all the aspects of a good comedy/horror movie that the SCARY MOVIE franchise (primarily any the sequels) fails at. The jokes in the movie are hilarious, thanks for Tudyk and Labine. And the kills in the movie can be just as gruesome as any mainstream horror film; I'd give examples but, as with any horror/slasher movie, I don't really want to spoil any potential kills. Everything in this movie works great with the exception of the third act. After the characters leave the main cabin in the woods location and arrive at the final conflict in a saw mill, it loses some steam. Maybe because it drops the horror parody vibe I'd been enjoying for the previous hour, but the whole end confrontation felt like a misstep. It doesn't exactly ruin the movie, it just didn't feel like it fit for me. As a whole, I really loved this movie and I expect it'll garner a pretty nice following on DVD/Blu-ray. The filmmakers have done an awesome job here and all I ask is that they enjoy the movie's success without tarnishing its awesomeness with an unnecessary sequel. I don't want to see more TUCKER AND DALE hijinks; their battle with evil was cool enough on it's own.