This Netflix prequel to Army of the Dead tells how safe/safecracking enthusiast Sebastian Schlencht-Wohnert (played by Matthias Schweighofer, also the director) would become professional safecracker Ludwig Dieter. Not a perfect movie, but I had a fun time.
I like that this is a very different film than Army of the Dead and is trying to be it's own thing. (Say what you will about how Zack Snyder handles films, but I've realized from interviews that when it comes to him creating shared universes he always gives complete respect to the other directors' visions and in case of the zombies' verse gives ample control of other director's films to the director.) The zombies are barely referenced (this takes place in Europe far from the outbreak in Las Vegas). The kills in Amry of the Dead that are gone. This isn't an action horror/ heist film, this is a pure heist comedy movie.
As for the plot itself, it's generally entertaining. There's nothing that original about it, but it's fun and confidently directed. The middle act could've been shorter. The film's major strength and weakness is Sebastien. Promoting supporting comic relief to a lead role always has the risk of the character being overextended and becoming tiresome. (I think most of us agree that Fat Amy pulled focus in Pitch Perfect 2 and 3. The original worked because of the ensemble not just her, gosh darn it!) That's kind of the issue here. The character and the actor's performance proves that Sebastien is interesting and likable enough to take center stage. However, way too many lines are given to the guy. If Schwighofer (man, the names were a pain to spell this time around) just exercised restraint, this would've been a stronger work.
Kinda recommended. This is a nice way to spend your time, it's just not something you have to see immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment