"What we have here, is a failure to communicate..."

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2011)

How many times do we go out of our way to avoid "that type of person"? Whether that "type" is someone we feel is threatening, dangerous, or just somebody we think would just ruin our day? I know I have.
I'm not proud to admit it, but I've often created entire lives for people from just one glance, and assured myself that my imagination has threaded their personalities to a tee. So much so, that I feel satisfied not even confirming my suspicions; affirmations become by products of my delusions. Sometimes, I won't even allow myself the possibility of surprise. All from just a glance.
Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil is a horror movie at a glance, but given the opportunity, it may surprise its viewers, revealing itself as a heartfelt fable at its hill-billy core. In this film, the horror genre is more of a paradigm, used to tell a deeper and more insightful tale compared to most contemporary horror films.
Like most horror films nowadays, it begins with a young cast of teenagers, en route to escape the civilized world and embark on a camping trip filled with sex, drugs, and everything else college kids are expected to do. All of the token victims are present, accounted for, (the alpha male, the one black kid, the ditsy blonde with big boobs etc.) and seemingly placed upon the slab, practically begging a villain for killin'.
Then, there's Tucker and Dale.
The innocent group of college kids immediately type-cast the duo as two lunatic hillbillies straight out of a horror movie, poisoned from dime-a-dozen Hollywood clichÃ©s! They're instantly threatened by the pair and agree to stay far away from them through the remainder of their vacation.
Meanwhile, there's Tucker and Dale.
Tucker and Dale would like nothing better to do then fix up their new vacation home, which happens to look like it came from the set of an Evil Dead remake. The two characters are good ol' boys, a bit clichÃ©, again at a glance, but have the tendency to grow on the viewer quicker than one can pop the top of a Pabst Blue Ribbon. Tucker is the grounded center of the two and the voice of reason, leaving Dale as the lovable comic relief.
I have to say, Tyler Labine as Dale really steals the show. His portrayal of the moronic oaf constantly reminds the viewer that amongst all the blood and guts, this film has a big soft gooey heart on the inside. His character is the medium that best delivers all the sincerity of this film home, and another quality that sets this movie apart from the rest.
Honorable mention goes to, of course, Alan Tudyk, a very underrated "hey, it's that guy" actor. His comedic delivery was never in question, personally, however. Don't agree? Check out "Death at a Funeral" and not the one with Chris Rock! The original! "Death at a Funeral" has Alan Tudyk constantly delivering comedic blows.
Things really begin to turn a darker corner when Tucker and Dale rescue one of the college kids from nearly drowning. As Tucker and Dale are merely trying to do the right thing, the rest of the collegians think that the two hillbillies are kidnapping their friend, because that's what hillbillies do right? Kidnap young girls, take them back to shady cabins in the middle of nowhere, and skin them alive! Right?
"Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil" succeeds in addressing a major concern in modern America, miscommunication! Personally, I really felt as if Eli Craig, the director and co-writer, was commenting on our fears and our lethargy, as Americans, concerning how we perceive "strangers" or people we do not know. According to Craig, and I would have to agree, we would rather allow our imaginations and context misrepresent "strangers" than assemble the responsibility required to get to know them. It's just easier to dismiss "them" as simply someone that is similar to somebody we have met in the past or somebody we do would not have pleasure in knowing.
There's a conversation in the beginning of the movie between two characters about the owners of a dirty pick-up (who happen to be Tucker and Dale). One character says, commenting on the vehicle, "We're in hillbilly country, now, boys! Squeal like a pig! Sooo-weeee!"
In response to this statement, a young girl says, "Chad, just because they're not in your fraternity doesn't mean their freaks".
"Well, actually it does Allison," says Chad. "You're either Omega Beta or your a freak".
I think that exchange sums up the series of misunderstanding that plagues the group of college students during the entire film. The college characters were quick to assume and judge based upon surface details. I feel that Eli Craig was cautioning those who are quick to make snappy assumptions based upon only what the eye can see.
Whether or not "Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil" will teach you the significance of getting to know you're fellow man, it will certainly entertain. The film is a blast from fade in to fade out and full of fun, to boot. I highly recommend this title for anyone wanting a break from your typical horror movie slasher.
"Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil" certainly spins a healthy alternative to the excessively worn Slasher sub-genre of horror and even leaves something for the audience to critically think about after the credits roll.
Believe it or not, there is even evidence of Rom-Com formula in this movie, so it is definitely couple approved. Now when was the last time a horror movie had all of the above? For all of my fellow gore-hounds, don't expect any Fulci or Jackson splatter, not even on the levels of "Shaun of the Dead". This film is tame by those standards, but the "money-shots" do exist. Woodchipper = Awesome!