Day of the Dead 2: Contagium (2005)

- written December 2005

Summary: A Russian spy plane carrying a mysterious cargo crashes in Pennsylvania and the surviving pilot is brought to a facility to explain the contents of some vials they’ve found. While left alone, the pilot messes with the vials becomes infected and soon everyone is infected. Years later, a mental health facility has been created nearby to that original site and one day 4 patients and a doctor encounter a thermos, containing one of the vials, which had been lost all those years ago. Now the patients unleash the virus and nothing will ever be the same.           Overall: Overall: The film could somewhat be considered a prequel...if u really wanted to make the stretch since it tries to give us a reason why people turn into zombies...but the timeline given the film that this movie takes it’s title from...doesn’t work. In fact, much of this film doesn’t work nor is it connected to it’s predecessor. It’s a sequel in name only. How sad.           The acting is not very good…they just don’t know what they are doing. The film spends much of its time from the “transforming zombie” point of view, showing us the long drawn out process over span of days having these people “turn.” So we see these actors trying to be slow and plodding into “zombie-mode” and they just aren’t convincing. The script didn’t help them though because when every other film has them transforming almost immediately and this film has them take 4 days to “turn”...you got a problem. But with that the film attempted to be about more than zombies with the love interest, assorted female patients and their issues but in the end, never properly finished those plot veins.           The gore/action was weak too...I mean you just can’t take them seriously when the corn syrup and plastic body parts are this obvious. You wanna buy into the roles…but the film makes it too difficult. It just isn’t a good film in any way you want to take it. Some reviewers like the “new direction” this film takes...zombie perspective and all. Maybe had they tried not to piggy-back on Romero’s films...I might have liked it...but putting my aside my thoughts on their insult to Romero...the perspective is way too long, drawn-out with bad acting...so it doesn’t work.           Skip it.           Comparison: Night of the Living Dead meets Session 9

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