Most people (elitist cinema snobs) will write off Tucker & Dale as a typically stupid, loud, and gory comedy with not much to it. And to be honest, I felt like it was going to be just that. Fortunately, I was proven wrong, as this film is not just about mayhem and cheap laughs, but has a very sweet, pleasant, and (dare I say it) heartwarming pair as its central characters. It's original, funny, and genuinely a lovable film, reminiscent of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's collaborations. If Shaun of the Dead redefined the zombie genre, this definitely did it for killer hillbillies.
Tucker & Dale VS Evil is the story of two harmless and simple country folk who, through a series of horrible accidents, are blamed by a group of college kids for the murder of their friends. After seeing one of the kids fall from a rock into a lake and hit her head, Tucker and Dale bring her back to their vacation cabin (which is basically a piece of crap, but it's a mansion to them). Dale falls for her and helps her get better, but in the meantime, the kids think that they abducted her. They then attempt to get her back, resulting in a series of gory and hilarious mishaps that send them flying into woodchippers, impaling themselves on sticks, and shooting themselves in the face.
This premise isn't exactly Oscar material, but it's certainly fun to watch, and I can imagine that it would be even more fun for fans of the horror genre. Telling a classic campfire story from the perspective of the 'villains' is the next logical step in making horror films, as they seem to have run out of any other ideas. Fortunately, Tucker & Dale VS Evil resists any attempt at taking itself seriously, resulting in great spoof material and a lot of over-the-top fun. Tyler Labine is great as Dale, the hapless yet kind goofball who falls head over heels for the college girl, and Alan Tudyk is great as Tucker. Then again, any movie with a former Firefly star will win bonus points from me. HE IS A LEAF ON THE WIND, MOTHERFUCKERS!
The movie does get a tad repetitive when it comes to the college kid's dialogue, but that's probably on purpose. "It's gonna be us or them!" kind of gets old after hearing it fifteen times, but as a riff on typically bland and generic horror movie dialogue, it works great. The writers have also upped the number of kids from the usual horror movie count of five to a grand total of eleven, resulting in plenty of spare characters to kill off in various fun and disgusting ways, including but not limited to: A weed whacker to the face, an exploding hillbilly house (spoilers! Oops), and chamomile tea. Don't ask... just watch it.
As is with all horror spoofs, it has its fair share of blood and guts gratuitously spilling everywhere, which will undoubtedly dissuade those who don't know what to expect. But for those of us who can appreciate a good horror/comedy, this is some enjoyably ridiculous and awesome shit. All the performances are admirable, the story is ludicrous yet compelling, and most importantly: The characters are well-developed. Even I, a stuck-up Bay Area resident who looks down his nose at hillbillies, was rooting 110% for these two to come out of everything okay. And THAT is a real cinematic feat.
Final Score for Tucker & Dale VS Evil: 7/10 stars. It doesn't try to be revolutionary, but it doesn't really have to be. It's just an awesome, hilarious, and epic story of two lovable rednecks and the preppy college girl who loved them (fuck, spoilers again). Turn off the uppity critic inside of you, relax back with your Pabst Blue Ribbon and overalls, and have yourself a good old-fashioned hick time.
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