Amazon.co.uk Review
The lower-profile half of the
Grindhouse double bill that flopped at the US box office in early 2007, Robert Rodriguezs
Planet Terror comes with lesser expectations. However, dont let that fool you: this is a fun, pacey zombie film, that displays less self-indulgence than Tarantinos
Death Proof, and doesnt skimp in the entertainment stakes either.
The plot is thin and quickly covered, but basically amounts to the release of a gas that creates lots of zombies. Stuck in the midst of the zombies is a small bunch of people who try and fight them off (among, er, other things). It doesnt, fortunately, take long for Planet Terror to set all this up, and the stage is soon set for what we all paid our money for. Action. Violence. Characters of ill-repute. And, heck, a bit more action too.
Thus, Rodriguez delivers his tribute to the grindhouse movies hes clearly inspired by, and Planet Terror proves to be a fine piece of work. With fast, exciting action sequences, leg-less Rose McGowan turning in sterling work in front of the camera, and stylish work behind it from Rodriguez, the film gels well.
Its director has perhaps bettered it himself with From Dusk Til Dawn, but that doesnt mean that theres not plenty to enjoy here. Taken either with its double-bill partner or as a standalone dish, Planet Terror is well worth your time. --Jon Foster
Synopsis
Director Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY) pays homage to his favourite B-movies with PLANET TERROR, an old-fashioned zombie film that's infused with enough gore and giggles to please even Peter Jackson (BAD TASTE). Rose McGowan (CHARMED) plays Cherry, a go-go dancer whose night is interrupted by a vicious zombie attack that leaves her missing a leg. Her ex-boyfriend, Wray (Freddy Rodriguez, SIX FEET UNDER), takes charge, fashioning her a new leg from a machine gun and killing zombies along the way. PLANET TERROR plays as a pleasing ode to the horror and exploitation films that once played in grimy grindhouses across the country. Rodriguez splashes plenty of blood, guts, and gore across the screen, while also taking the plot into some wonderfully bizarre territory. PLANET TERROR was originally released as part of the GRINDHOUSE double feature with Quentin Tarantino's DEATH PROOF.