This movie takes the typical horror movie and flips it on it's side. It's both gory and hilarious. I didn't think the gore in T&D was the type that's made to gross you out or shock you though. Also, when I say it's hilarious, that's a good thing, as this movie is intentionally funny. Most of the time, I think slasher flicks are funny because they are just plain awful or take themselves too seriously while not realizing how bad they are. Other times, a slasher flick will use humor to break tension. With Tucker & Dale, this movie is more of a parody of the slasher genre. Don't be scared by the word 'parody' though. This is no Scary Movie or any of the 'films' from that awful family of crap.
In the movie, Tucker and Dale are a pair of hillbilly brothers on their way out to the woods to fix up a cabin they plan on turning into their first vacation home. At the same time, you are following a group of typical college kids headed to the same woods to go camping for the weekend. After the first few minutes, you'll quickly realize that this movie isn't quite going the direction a normal slasher flick is going. Once everyone gets to the woods, the movie takes off and really starts to shine.
This review is tough for me because I'm chomping at the bit to tell you all about it, but I liked it so much that I just don't want to ruin anything for you. The less you know about Tucker & Dale, the better. Some of the better moments and surprises in this movie are SPOILED by the trailers. If you're going to watch this, don't watch the trailers.
I'm kind of torn on the trailer thing this time around, as it was a bit of the double-edged sword. If I hadn't seen the trailers all those months ago, I wouldn't have known about T&D and wouldn't have had much interest in seeing this right away. I probably wouldn't have rented it for a few months and then been a little pissed I didn't watch it sooner. I was considering posting the trailer here, but I just can't spoil it for you. I really think you should go into this knowing as little as you can.
Despite many things being spoiled, I still enjoyed the hell out of Tucker & Dale. As soon as I was done watching it, I immediately started the movie back over and watched a few of my favorite scenes again. There were a few parts that I found funnier the second time around.
This stars Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dodgeball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) as 'Tucker' and Tyler Labine as 'Dale'. I thought they were both really funny. With Alan Tudyk I expected as much, because been in a lot of good things and is a fan favorite. Tyler Labine surprised me a little more. He's one of those guys you'll recognize as he's shown up with small roles in lots of different movies and TV shows, but I wasn't sure if he could carry a movie as one of the leads. I think he worked really well here.
The only other person you might recognize is Katrina Bowden, who plays 'Cerie' on 30 Rock. She's really cute as the lead. I'd like to see her get a little more work and see if she has more to offer than the small roles she's played so far. Maybe a romantic comedy or something like that.
I have to credit the writing and direction Eli Craig for how much I liked Tucker & Dale. He did a lot with a small budget and a cast of mostly unknowns. Neither Eli Craig, nor co-writer Morgan Jurgenson, have a notable body of work. It looks like this was the first feature for either of these guys. I hope they didn't blow their wads with T&D.
If you're a fan of the horror genre and want to watch something that isn't your typical slasher flick, I highly recommend Tucker & Dale vs Evil. I think this is a great party movie. Rent it, invite over a few friends and I think you'll have a great time. It should be available On-Demand starting Friday and in a few smaller theaters here and there. I know it's playing in Berkeley and I think this would be great movie to see with an audience. Alternatively, I have it saved on my DVR for the next week or so and will host a viewing party on Saturday, October 8th if anyone is interested.
Oh, on another note. I was able to sign up for the Amazon Associates program. If you plan on buying something from Amazon, please click through one of the Amazon related links on my blog to get you to Amazon's site. I guess I'm supposed to get a little bit of a kickback form Amazon if you buy something going through one of the links on my page. I appreciate the support!
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