A pleasant surprise.

Rating: 7/10 (9 October 2012)

I was lent the DVD of Tucker and Dale Vs Evil and decided to watch it without looking it up on IMDb first so I had no idea what to expect. There was no one in the cast that I knew and, from the title, I got the impression that it would be one of those low-budget horror movies that are OK if you happen to like low-budget horror movies. Well, at first, it seemed like my assessment was going to be pretty correct and, maybe worse, the whole thing was going to be yet another revamp of the college-kids-on-a-remote-vacation-in-a-forest affair. I wasn't even sure whether to continue watching.
But then, just at the right time, everything took on a whole new complexion. I increasingly found myself being reduced to fits of laughter and asking myself why I was laughing at a gruesome horror movie and realising it was because it was actually very funny! Maybe I have a too-vivid imagination but, in spite of what was, to say the least, an extremely bizarre sequence of circumstances (most ending in gruesome disaster), it was remarkably believable - especially when one remembered that some of the kids were smoking dope and thus somewhat erratic in their reactions. After all, as one whose sport was orienteering, I am well aware that is IS actually possible to impale oneself on a sharp tree branch when not looking where one is going at full speed in a forest. (Fortunately, I never did it as dramatically as the young guy in this film!). Without going into each event in detail, when you think about it, none of the fatal events were ridiculous - although it might be true to say that for so many to happen all in a short space of time was! But then it IS a movie and, as such, needs to hold viewers' attention.
The juxtaposition of a couple of simple but likable hillbilly guys, one very deranged college kid and several of his contemporaries resulted in a most entertaining and enjoyable hour-and-a-half. If you're not into horror movies, please don't let the fact that is categorised under that genre put you off watching Tucker and Dale vs Evil. You could just discover a different source of enjoyment. And, of course, the ending leaves the way wide open for lots more Tucker and dale sequels. Here's hoping!