Zombibi [Kill Zombie!] (2012)

(In French, On Cable TV, June 2021) When it comes to zombie movies, my preference is clear and definitive: I like them comic, hopeful, brash, loud, action-filled and not too dumb if possible. Like Shaun of the Dead and Cockneys vs. Zombies, Dutch horror/comedy Zombibi checks off a lot of the boxes. Taking place in Amsterdam and featuring a plucky crew of survivors, it’s a film that definitely has fun with the idea of zombie outbreaks. The overall story isn’t all that much (a geeky office guy going back downtown to rescue his crush), but the fun of it is in the light, fast-paced execution. Largely shot in daytime, the film enjoys its ensemble cast of characters, giving them distinctive gags and following through on them. While not necessarily crossing the line into parody, it also messes with some of the fetishes of its own genre. The cast is more diverse than I would have expected (but that’s just my ignorance talking —Amsterdam has been a trade nexus of Europe for centuries), and Zombibi’s apparent budget is higher as well: there’s a lot of fortunately-green splattered gore along the way, fizzy intertitles and intermissions, a good chunk of CGI and an energetic directing style from Martijn Smits and Erwin van den Eshof that relies on fast-paced editing. It’s far more fun than the average zombie film, even if it does operate in a now-familiar vein for zombie comedies. Still, fun is fun — There are a few things I would have changed (such as the fate of the indomitable TV reporter who pops up now and then) and I’m sure that I’ve missed tons of Dutch-specific references. Still, compared to the usual slew of uninspired downbeat zombie films, Zombibi is definitely a highlight.