A comic homage to sci-fi films of the 1950s updated with extreme violence. A small Southern town of Wheeley is infested by some disgusting alien slugs. The main slug infects Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) to the confusion of his young, blond-haired beautiful wife (Elizabeth Banks) who is secretly loved by the towns sheriff (Nathan Fillion). Soon the slugs are infecting everybody and its up to the sheriff, Grant's wife and a plucky teenager (Tania Saulnier) to save the town.
Horror comedies are hard to pull off--they can become either too gross or too funny. Only a few have pulled this off--"Evil Dead II", "Re-Animator", "Night of the Creeps" and "Dead Alive". Unfortunately this isn't as good as those. The cast does play it straight (wisely) and it's well-made with some great (if disgusting) special effects. But the humor and horror never mesh comfortably. I DID laugh out loud a few times and was impressed by the gross out effects--but the movie was always wavering uncomfortably between the two. It never found even footing. It's not terrible and the cast is good--but I still wasn't entertained. LOTS of plot holes too. I can only give this a 6.
Horror comedies are hard to pull off--they can become either too gross or too funny. Only a few have pulled this off--"Evil Dead II", "Re-Animator", "Night of the Creeps" and "Dead Alive". Unfortunately this isn't as good as those. The cast does play it straight (wisely) and it's well-made with some great (if disgusting) special effects. But the humor and horror never mesh comfortably. I DID laugh out loud a few times and was impressed by the gross out effects--but the movie was always wavering uncomfortably between the two. It never found even footing. It's not terrible and the cast is good--but I still wasn't entertained. LOTS of plot holes too. I can only give this a 6.