War of the Dead (2011)

(In French, On Cable TV, June 2021) On paper, “Nazi zombies” still does sound really good — as an excuse for good guys to mow down hordes of villains, it’s got an irresistible two-punch: They’re undead and super-racists! It’s a premise so good, in fact, that it has spawned its own action/horror subgenre with its own Wikipedia page. Alas, anyone acquainted with that subgenre will tell you that there isn’t much good in it — Dead Snow aside, and also putting aside the big-budgeted Overlord (which was itself a bit disappointing), much of the rest is a low-budget ephemera produced with more ambition than adequate means, and using the premise as a crutch given a lack of ability to deliver. Writer-director Marko Mäkilaakso’s War of the Dead is really no different from those other disappointments: it seems to believe that Nazi zombies are interesting enough to compensate for a forgettable script, indifferent acting and underwhelming execution. It’s surprisingly forgettable and even skimps on the gore in order to focus on action that simply isn’t all that exciting nor plentiful. I wouldn’t normally complain (I don’t like gore), but it’s likely to limit its appeal to horror fans. The nature of the premise and the historical absurdities required to make it work would suggest a tongue-in-cheek approach, but War of the Dead stubbornly remains stone-faced throughout its duration, not even having any self-awareness. I’d call it a disappointment except, well — given the subgenre’s poor track record, was anyone expecting any different?