DVD Review: Remains Simon Fitzjohn August 28, 2012 DVDs & Rentals 3196 Zombies seem to be all the rage when it comes to horror these days. Whether it be fast zombies, slow zombies or even Nazi zombies, horror filmmakers just cannot get enough of the brain-munchers it seems. Now that is all well and good, as long as there is a hook that separates the film from the rest of the shuffling pack – say the romantic comedy musings of Shaun of the Dead, or the turbo-aggressive infected of 28 Days Later. Remains clearly tries to go down that route, throwing in plenty of humour with its gore, but it is just not enough to elevate the flick from the merely ‘watchable’ category. Based on a graphic novel from Steve Niles (of 30 Days of Night fame) the set-up is extremely simple – we are introduced to a group of characters who work in and around a casino in Reno. All the TV channels are covering ‘Peace Day’ – a global event where a new discovery is being launched that will end war worldwide. Wouldn’t you know though, this device (which we never see), ends up wiping out all life on earth, except for a handful of souls who for whatever reason escaped the blast. Two of those are Tom (Grant Bowler) and Tori (Evalena Marie), who just happened to be shagging in the basement at the time. They emerge to find deserted streets, but are soon in a desperate bid for survival as the zombie menace begins to rise. Throw in a couple of other survivors, and the arrival of a group of military wannabes that are straight out of the zombie movie manual, and you have the recipe for a fast-paced 90 minutes. The trouble is it is all rather ‘meh’ – yes there are laughs to be had and yes the effects are pretty good, but you just get that feeling you have seen it all before – many times. There is also one of the worst pieces of on-screen CGI I have witnessed (a car crash), and a character personality shift in the last ten minutes that doesn’t really work. Bowler and Marie make solid enough leads (and Marie is actually pretty cute), and there is nothing particularly wrong with director Colin They’s efforts. It is just there is nothing memorable about them either, so while Remains is undoubtedly an entertaining watch, it is not something you will be talking about afterwards.
