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RATING |
| 6 |
| DIRECTOR |
| Paul Andrew Williams |
| CAST |
Andy Serkis
Jennifer Ellison
Doug Bradley
Reece Shearsmith
Georgia Groome
Johnny Harris
Steve O'Donnell
Katy Murphy
Dave Legeno
Simon Schatzberger
Jonathan Chan-Pensley
Eden Groome
Logan Wong |
YEAR |
| 2008 |
RUNTIME |
| 92 minutes |
DATE REVIEWED |
| 4 / 03 / 08 |
SHOPPING |
| BUY THIS FILM |
| REVIEWER: FrighT MasteR |
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RATE THIS MOVIE:
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RATED BY:
17 FAN(S) |
CURRENT RATING:
7.29 SKULL(S)
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The Cottage
It wasn't really until the huge success of Shaun of the Dead here in the US that horror-comedy from the UK really started to take a shine with American audiences. A handful of films have tried to capture the perfect blend of comedic elements and horrific situations, and although some did succeed in the gore, they failed in the "funny." Sadly, The Cottage is no different. The film had potential, but falls a bit flat for the first half, and when things finally pick up in the second, it's nothing we haven't already seen before. Regardless, the executions of certain situations in the second half were done quite well, making it easier to forget the slow-paced first half.
The flick basically follows a botched kidnapping, where a few bumbling idiots kidnap a wealthy man's daughter, and holds her captive in a secluded cabin in the outskirts of the city. One problem after another arises until the plan finally falls apart, when the woman somehow frees herself, and the tables turn when she decides to hold one of the kidnappers hostage. The woman, accompanied by her new toy, attempts to call for help at a nearby farm, but little do they know, they've just stept foot on the wrong property. Now the duo, along with the remaining kidnappers, have to fend off against the farm's psychotic owner.
I loved the whole idea about an attempted kidnapping gone bad and having to face off against a far worse enemy, but the delivery in the first half of the film was just too slow. We spend the first 45-minutes getting to realize how stupid these characters are, and how annoying the kidnapped woman is (Jennifer Ellison). The hostage is by far the worst character in the entire film, although nice to look at, has the mouth of a drunk sailor, and spews nothing but obscenities at our leads, and sporting a bad attitude to boot.
It isn't until the woman is free and they reach the farm that things finally pick up. We're introduced to an all new dilemma and finally get some gore-candy for our starving eyes. The kills are gruesome and things don't all go as they normally do in films like these, which make the flick stand out in certain aspects. For instance, after knocking out the killer, instead of simply running away from him (like survivors usually do), they debate on who has to stab him with a machete, offering an refreshing and somewhat funny look at how a common situation in the genre can still be somewhat original.
They also give no excuses for our characters to get away unharmed. If one of our guys is lying on the ground, he's definitely gonna get stabbed in the leg to ensure he won't attempt to run away. Things like this are some of what I’ve wanted to see more of in the genre, and are the main reasons why I was able to forget some of the slow-paced first half. It actually almost seemed as though there were two different films in one, with the first being more of a comedy, while the second was horror.
The comedy in the movie wasn't all that bad. I got quite a few chuckles going, and I actually liked the idiot kidnappers at first. Of course, they had to play out the fact that they were stupid entirely too long, leaving some of the situations they get into to be a bit repetitive. Regardless, a lot of the film's faults can be overlooked when the action picks up and it's finally time to sit back and enjoy the ride
OVERALL
The film had a lot of potential, but falls a bit flat in the first 45-minutes due to repetitiveness and lack of anything but idiocy from our bumbling leads (with the exception of Andy Serkis). Some of the comedy is decent, but the film really shines in the gore department in the second half. Topped with the somewhat realistic delivery towards the end of the film, it was easier to forget the faults presented throughout the movie, and made the rest of the flick a more pleasant viewing. Worth a rent.
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rockermanforte.. this film has loads of gore and the farmer kills people for a reason (which i dont want to give away. but believe me, when you find out, you would all shout OMG!!)