Zombie Island (2019) by Gabriel Leung

Director: Gabriel Leung

Year: 2019

Country: China

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Zombie; Horror/Comedy

Plot:

Arriving at a tropical resort, the crew tries to help placate the confused guests against reports of a zombie outbreak in the area, and when they discover the area was a test bed for a Japanese experiment in WWII, testing a mysterious chemical that brought the dead back to life and threatening everyone.

Review:

This is an incredibly difficult film to get a handle on. The biggest detriment here is a jarring, confusing narrative that gives this no setup at all. Rather than properly get to know each of the characters, their relationship to each other, or what's going on, we're thrust into the middle of the events as if they've already been given. It feels as though an opening setup that would've explained everything is cut out of the film, and the viewer is suddenly twenty minutes into a traditional story with no build-up. That lack of information about who the gangsters or the tour guides are, how the virus spread to their friends, or how the plague arrived on the island are basic questions about the storyline. These are ignored in favor of just throwing the random characters into the zombie chaos, which leaves this somewhat confusing in several aspects.

As well, this lack of build-up hurts this one in the middle section. Fulfilling the expected barricade inside the motel while the early stages of the zombie hordes gather outside, that's part of every zombie film, the expected breakdown of the survivors has a bare minimum of impact. It's nearly impossible to care about anyone or really catch wind of who any of the characters are named since the underperforming writing doesn't tell us anything interesting. On top of that, the infighting and battling for control hold off the zombie encounters as they're basically nonexistent until the last half of the film, which disrupts the flow and tempo. Overall, these elements are what make the film as a whole.

There are some positive elements, though. Among this one's better features are the numerous scenes of zombie carnage that are quite effective. They're given enough in the first half through the henchmen turning and the swarms outside that the threat is believable and feasible. The sight of them breaking down the doors and rushing the lobby of the hotel, creating panic and chaos, is endearing and fun, much like the later encounters in the second half when they finally overrun the hotel. Featuring some heartbreaking moments where characters we do want to see survive get swarmed or bitten, the action comes across rather well with some high-energy confrontations to generate a fun finale. As this section offers some fine special effects and gore, there's a lot to like that holds it up over the flaws.

Overview: ***/5

Filled with some storyline issues but enough action to be likable for what it is, this one won't be much more than the middle ground at best in the genre. Viewers who appreciate this style are fans of zombie films, in general, will have fun here, but there's not a lot going on here for those who don't.

This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.