Why I Saw It: Though I’m not particularly a fan of horror films, I do try to see the ones which seem to think outside the box. I did that with Cabin In The Woods, and a friend of mine spoke highly of Tucker And Dale Vs Evil, so I decided to give it a try as well.
What Was It About? “Two lovable hillbillies are headed to their new “fixer-upper” vacation cabin to drink some beer, do some fishing, update the abode and have a good time. When they run into a group of preppy college kids who make some assumptions about the vacationing duo having evil intentions, Tucker & Dale’s vacation takes a bloody & hilarious turn for the worse.“
Why would anyone think this guy’s capable of evil?
Rating: 8.6 out of 10
This ranks it in my Top 5 Horror Films Of All Time, among the likes of SCREAM, ZOMBIELAND, AMERICAN PSYCHO and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
Memorable Performances: I’ve enjoyed the work of Alan Tudyk in various other projects (FIREFLY / SERENITY; SUBURGATORY), but I’ll absolutely remember his involvement in this film, as it was significantly different than his other roles and just as enjoyable.
For me, the performance from Tyler Labine is easily the most memorable of the film. He took a role which could have easily been taken to absurd levels, kept it realistic and didn’t lose any of the humor. In fact, because of this role, I added Tyler Labine to my “watch” list in terms of actors from whom I want to see more performances.
Katrina Bowden was far better than I expected in her role. I wouldn’t consider it nomination-worthy, just based on the lack of substance for the character in the script, but it was far more believable than I would have predicted.
Potential Nominations for Film Quest ’13:
- Surprising Favorite
Favorite Parts: I like how this film feels almost plausible. Yes, Tucker and Dale would have to be supremely unlucky and potentially the dumbest protagonists since Dumb & Dumber, but given the way the film plays out and the performances given by Tudyk and Labine, the film doesn’t cross the line into the absurd. The gore, which I’m not typically a fan of, was done as tastefully as possible, and at times it even adds to the comedic tone. All in all, I like how the two main characters come across as extremely likable characters who you can’t help but feel sympathetic towards.
The Regrettable Aspects: The performances given by the main preppy kid and a couple of his friends detracted from the film’s quality. It feels awkward to say that a movie which is part comedy and part horror flick should have better acting in it, but at times I found it to be crossing into a zone where it was too campy and forced… and it’s all because of those secondary characters.
Would I watch it again? I contemplated buying the DVD/Blu-ray, and I still might. If I saw this on TV at some point, I’d absolutely stop and watch. I will probably tune in through Netflix again before the year is over, especially if it’s still available on Instant.
To Whom Would I Recommend It? If a little bit of blood splatter doesn’t turn you away from a film, you should see this. You don’t have to like horror films to have a good time with Tucker And Dale Vs Evil, and I’d bet that most people will enjoy it.
Other Recommendations:
– SHAUN OF THE DEAD – Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as HOT FUZZ, it’s certainly a highly entertaining flick which accomplishes some of the same things in the comedy / horror cross-over genre that you get with T&DvsE. I don’t rank SotD higher than T&DvsE, but a lot of people do.
– ARMY OF DARKNESS – It delves more into the campy horror than T&DvsE, but a lot of people enjoyed that more than I did. I don’t fit into the group of people who LOVED this cult classic, but it’s no doubt an entertaining watch.
– ATTACK THE BLOCK – This is far less a comedy than T&DvsE, but it’s absolutely just as enjoyable as it presents a different style of horror flick with more than a couple laughs to its credit.
If you’ve got recommendations for alternatives to TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL, or for other similar films, let me know!
Next up… HEATHERS!
Guys Film Quest 
I nearly cried of laughter when he smiled holding scythe 😀
Such a good flick. I absolutely didn’t expect to laugh that much.
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