Cockneys vs Zombies

Genre: Comedy, Comedy Horror
Rating: 15
Warnings: Mild Gore, Violence

Unusually for any non-historical use of the word 'Cockney', it's fairly accurate. Set in the right part of East London with elderly characters and criminal family background, the usual "those are not cockneys" pitfalls are avoided. In fact, the actors' accents are genuine and the locations used are recognisable. The older characters use and explain Cockney Rhyming Slang and there's an appearance from a classic Routemaster bus so non-Londoners can tell where it takes place, too.

This is a zombie film, even if it is a comedy, so be ready for some violence and gore.  Yes, there are silly and epic weapons, don't worry, and most of it is funny, but be ready to have your eyes covered if you're squeamish.

Some classic zombie tropes like injured team member and using the nearest available item as a weapon are present, as well as some of the newer, comedy-zombie tropes like a slow motion chase and characters completely unaware of the zombies around them. Everything has it's own twist, though, and one character's zombification brings up a whole new issue with zombies that is solved well.

We follow two sets of characters, a group of elderly people in a retirement home and the grandsons of one of the pensioners, who rob a bank with badly-put together team and take hostages when it goes wrong. As the young people battle their way to the retirement home in search of the brothers' granddad and hopefully safety from zombies, the pensioners are securing themselves from the zombies inside and trying to decide what to do.

Some characters are heart-breakingly likeable, such as Richard Briers' characters sadness at seeing his favourite nurse has become a zombie, and some walk a fine line between you wishing they'd be killed and hoping they survive, such as Tony Gardner's character repeatedly telling the bank robbers who have kidnapped him that he'll go to the police if they let him go.

In between the zombie comedy and epic journey, there are great character relationships: The brothers have robbed a bank to get enough money to stop the retirement home from closing but don't want him to know, because it was their parent's criminal lives that lead to their deaths when the boys were little. Just as the characters come together, the successes in zombie-killing and personal lives come together for an epic ending.

If you like zombies, comedies or live in London, which must cover everybody, this is a film worth watching! Get it on DVD or watch it online, but remember to put it on your must see list.