Movie Review: “Tucker & Dale vs Evil” A Fine Work of Satirical Horror
“Tucker & Dale vs Evil” (2011) is a horror comedy directed by Eli Craig and starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as the titular characters. The film follows two groups of people: Tucker and Dale, two awkward but friendly hillbillies, and a group of stereotypical college students out for a camping trip in the woods. Throughout the film, a series of misunderstandings lead to the college students thinking that Dale and Tucker are murderers. While I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, I will say that this premise is elaborated on and that the story goes places that I did not at all expect.
What makes this such a strong film is a mixture of the great dynamic between the two leads, great subversion of the genre it is satirizing, and well-timed, bloody, slapstick humor. All this combines to make a hilarious film, even if you aren’t familiar with the films it parodies. Overall, there are very few negatives about this movie. There is a romantic side plot that doesn’t add much to the plot or lead to many jokes, but it takes up very little of the movie. Also, the end of the movie goes on a little long, with the secret villain of the film surviving deadly attack after deadly attack. While this could be a reference to the ridiculous durability of some horror movie villains, it does cause the movie to drag on a bit. Finally, some people may be put off by the use of excessive gore in the deaths throughout the movie. While it is played for laughs, I can see why some people would find it too disturbing to watch despite its lighthearted and over-the-top nature.
Overall, despite a few flaws, this is an incredible film. The comedy is original and well-executed. The few action scenes are well shot and keep your attention. While it might be short on scares for a film inspired by horror movies, it is certainly worth checking out this Halloween.
