The old idiom of never judge a book by it's cover is one that I try to enforce when watching films. However, sometimes there are films in which this is an impossible task. 'Cockneys vs Zombies' (2012) is one of these films. How could i possibly not go into this film with preconceived ideas of exactly what was going to be with a title like that? It isn't a title that beats around the bush and it sets out it's stall immediately. The film doesn't pull any surprises either. What it tells you you're going to get is exactly what you get; an hour and 25 minutes of cockneys fighting zombies and all the silly fun which comes along with it. The film follows two brothers, Terry (Rasmus Hardiker) and Andy (Harry Treadaway), who decide to rob a bank in order to save their grandad's old peoples home so that he doesn't have to move up north. While robbing the bank a zombie apocalypse breaks out and the job goes from robbing the bank to saving their grandad from his care home.
On a technical level the film is very solid. The cinematography, lighting, sound and editing are all done well enough and all the practical zombie effects are done well. There is one really glaring continuity mistake in the film. This is where we see Terry talking and mid-sentence we cut to a shot of Terry running into the next room while still taking. It jumped straight out at me while watching and took me right out of the moment. The CGI effects are also terrible. Thankfully they are used sparingly, but when they are used it looks like something I could have made in Paint. On a narrative and tone level this is quite possibly the least surprising film I have ever seen. It was exactly what I expected to be, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The film knows exactly what it wants to be and sticks to that tone throughout. It doesn't try to add unneeded character depth or emotional beats where they're not needed and instead just remained a stupid, silly comedy. And, for the most part, it is quite successful in this. There are a couple of dud jokes but I did also get a fair few decent laughs throughout. The film is at it's best comedically when it is being a bit more subtle. Yes I know I used the word subtle in a film called 'Cockneys vs Zombies' but hear me out. The best jokes in the film are the small lines or reactions that characters have to situations. All the characters in this film have a nonchalant attitude to the whole zombie outbreak and it leads to fun character interactions and some fun lines. But I am going to have to admit that the funniest moment of the film is also the most ridiculous. A lot of the really ridiculous jokes were a bit too silly for my taste but this one moment in question is so ridiculous that it becomes hysterical. Basically, a zombie babie gets punted into a billboard. Maybe I shouldn't have laughed as much as I did but I dunno, it tickled me.
A bit like the film's comedy the acting within the film is pretty hit and miss. It is mostly solid throughout but there are some moments where the acting feels wooden and off. The biggest culprit of this would be Michelle Ryan as Katy. She doesn't put in a terrible performance but there are some moments where her delivery is poor and she can be wooden at times. But she also does manage to capture the comedy of the film quite well, and this is something that can be said for all the actors. There are two stand out performances in my eyes, and these come from Rasmus Hardiker as Terry and Alan Ford as Ray, the grandad. I had a feeling I would like Alan Ford's performance before watching the film and he did not disappoint. He is just very good at playing a cockney hardman and that is what he is asked to do here. But he also does capture the comedic side of the film really well and has some really funny moments. As for Rasmus Hardiker I had never seen him acting before this and I thought he was very good. He captures the tone of the film better than any of the other actors and this leads to him being the most interesting and funniest character. His comedic timing is great as is his delivery and it was because of this that I bought into his character more than any other.
'Cockneys vs Zombies' knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be and it delivers in this regard. It is solidly made other than a couple of moments and the actors all do decent jobs, although some are better than others, but the focus of the film is on the comedy and this can be hit and miss. There are a lot of jokes that fall flat but there are equally a lot of jokes that really hit, especially when that baby gets punted (genuinely one of the funniest things I have ever seen). Yes the film is really, really silly and I'm hesitant to say that it is actually very good, but it is a lot fun. I would recommend it if you're looking to turn your brain off and just watch something to pick you up. Probably not something I will come back to anytime soon but fun while it lasted.