Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

Director: Eli Craig

Cast: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden

Synopsis: a couple of rednecks holidaying at their remote cabin are mistaken for psychotic killers.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is the latest example of how the entire horror genre continues to feed upon itself in its ceaseless quest to plunder the pockets and purses of its audience with increasingly juvenile variations on a theme.    This one subverts the stock horror clichés by having a couple of redneck hillbillies, Dale (Tyler Labine – Get Carter, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk – I, Robot, Zootopia), terrorised by a psychotic teen whose friends die in a variety of accidental ways – each of which make the good ol’ boys look like maniacal killers themselves.

It’s not a terrible idea, and is at least backed up by some funny jokes, but Tucker and Dale vs Evil sat on the shelf for three years before finally seeing the light of day.   Despite a modest running time of less than 90 minutes – which is often the sign of a patched-up dud – the film still seems a little too long to sustain its basic premise. Tucker is pretty much a sidekick to Dale, who comes across as an endearing yokel whose sweet nature is at odds with his grizzled appearance. When you get right down to it, the film is simply slapstick comedy with blood – but at least it’s entertaining.

(Reviewed 4th November 2011)