A classic horror set-up with a comedy twist!

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2016)

Tucker and Dale are just two guys who can't wait to get down to their new vacation home in the woods and just kick back with a few beers and do a little fishing. They had no idea that a group of young college kids were also heading to the same area to have a little fun of their own. That is one way this movie could be teased, another would be, A group of college friends stocked with beer, weed and bad ideas head out to the woods, where a couple of hillbillies are not too happy about their property being trespassed on. Either way you look at it, this vacation is going to be a mess.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a movie about perception. The director/writer Eli Craig has crafted a modern look at the oft copied slasher film formula and added a bit of life into a dying genre. Instead of showing us the events through the eyes of the victims, Craig turns the camera around and gives us a look through the eyes of the so called "killers". The college kids will jump to conclusions and make assumptions about Tucker and Dale and through a few misunderstandings will think Tucker and Dale are vicious murderers. On the flip side the duo will make some assumptions about the "college kids" of their own which will ultimately land them in deeper trouble.
Leading the cast are Tyler Labine as Dale and Alan Tudyk as Tucker. Both just ooze comedy right into this chaotic few days in the woods. Both are just stellar and I don't think this movie would have been possible without either one. Tudyk has had an already long career in both comedy and serious roles. He has starred in both the TV show Firefly and its movie counterpart Serenity. He has lended his voice to animated features such as Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen and Big Hero 6. He has also played the villain in the Jackie Robinson movie, 42. Point being that even with such an impressive resume, this may be Tudyk's best performance to date. Labine, while less well known really steals the heart in this movie. He plays such a great big dumb lovable oaf, with a heart of gold. I will be looking for him in future releases for sure. The rest of the cast is rounded out by your basic slasher cast. A diverse group of kids from all different backgrounds, and while not as fleshed out as Tucker or Dale, they still play an important role in filling out the normal tropes.
The comedy in this movie does not just come from the constant identity mix ups, but also from the writing. The movie seems to get funnier and funnier every time I see it. You will catch things you missed the first time, you will learn the funny little quirks of some of the characters that you can't wait to pop back up again. Writers Craig and Morgan Jurgenson have not only found a new way to tell a classic story, they have created a real full movie here, not just a gimmick and a good cast.
I have watched Tucker and Dale vs. Evil 3 times now and each time with a different group of people. Each time i have thought that there may be someone of the group who may not like the movie, but I pressed on anyway to try to get as many people to see this movie as possible. Every person I have watched this movie with has loved it. Not once has someone said they either did not like it or down right hated it. The laughs are constant and the pacing keeps you into the movie, even once the original gimmick wears off. Tucker and Dale is truly a movie that I think everyone can find some enjoyment in, and that is a very difficult task to accomplish. So next time you and your friends can't decide on something to watch, give Tucker and Dale a try. I guarantee you wont be disappointed.