There are a lot of bad zombie movies. There are a lot of bad video game movies. Dead Rising Watchtower combines these two and somehow manages to be a somewhat decent movie, and that’s better than I was expecting.
Zombies, no one likes them, and more importantly, no one wants to become one. After the infestation at the Willamette mall in Colorado, survivors are treated with Zombrex and given medical alert bracelets to let them know when they need to take the medication. Unfortunately, like the zombie itself, the infestation won’t stop. Outbreaks continue, but most if not all of them are shut down and quarantined off to save lives. That is until the events that unfold inside East Mission, Oregon.
Chase Carter is a struggling reporter for his internet news site “Hitpoint”. He and his cameraperson Jordan are inside the outbreak quarantine area reporting about the people coming in droves to get their much-needed meds, Zombrex. Chase is bored of covering boring stories and wants something more exciting to bring in the viewers. Unfortunately for them, he gets his wish. As they are about to give up and leave, a massive outbreak occurs in the very camp they are in. The problem is that the Zombrex that the doctors have been using to help the survivors along isn’t working, and the people are turning. Chase and Jordan soon find themselves running for their lives and using everything they can get their hands on to help protect them from the undead, or worse.
[Full disclosure (not that anyone reading this didn’t already know) I love terrible movies. I also love video games. And while there are some legitimately terrible video game movies out there (I’m looking at you Uwe Boll) there are some that I actually enjoy. Resident Evil, DOOM, and even that DOA movie. So… just know that going into this review.]
Every time I think I have reached my limit with zombie movies, another one comes along where I kinda shrug, give in, and watch. Dead Rising is another in a long (extremely long) line of zombie flick that manages to find something ever so slightly to inject into the genre. While the movie itself doesn’t break the mold, having it based in the universe that was created by the video games, I knew I’d eventually have to watch. And… I’m glad I did.
The Dead Rising video game series has always been a bit campy and never self-serious, but that’s what always drew me to them. The thing about them though, at least for me, is that playing the actual game was never as fun as I wanted it to be. They were a bit stressful and kinda punishing, but they still had a dopey side. The movie isn’t really much different. Watchtower manages to squeeze in enough references to the games to satisfy a fan of the series. With the exception of one bit closer to the end, every other reference could just be passed off as just your usual horror movie trope. Also, Frank West is played masterfully by Rob Riggle. Not sure I can come up with a better casting option.
Dead Rising, for me anyway, lives up to the small potential that it has. With (mostly) subtle nods to the games and slight spins on the usual zombie outbreak film, it’s worth seeing. Don’t go into this expecting to see the next 24hrs Later or Zombieland and it’ll be alright.
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