Post by xystophoros on Mar 1, 2017 17:49:55 GMT
The Rezort was much better than I expected. I went into it expecting outright cheese with a few cute girls in the cast, but was pleasantly surprised by outstanding production values, very solid performances from the cast, and a plot that offers a refreshing twist on the zombie genre.
In The Rezort, society has bounced back after a zombie plague has killed 2 billion people. The movie's protagonist, Melanie, endured some particularly brutal moments during the outbreak, including being forced to watch her own father turn. Her boyfriend, Lewis, is a former soldier who fought in the war against the undead and has his own ghosts.
When her PTSD becomes overwhelming, Melanie confides in Lewis that she's been thinking about booking a trip to The Rezort -- a luxury hotel on an exclusive island, with all the amenities of a first-class vacation and something no other place can offer: A chance to hunt and kill the undead in a sort of safari-like experience. Melanie thinks confronting the undead and taking out her frustration might help her overcome her PTSD.
The Rezort is the brainchild of Valerie Wilton, a businesswoman who saw an opportunity -- instead of clearing a former resort island of zombies at great financial cost, she turned it into a way to make money. The movie opens with a montage of cable news clips, with talking heads arguing over whether Wilton is profiting from tragedy or a smart businesswoman who was able to create jobs and economic activity out of a disaster.
It isn't long before the protagonists arrive at The Rezort, and it quickly becomes clear this is like an upscale Jurassic Park with zombies instead of dinosaurs. Immediately upon arriving at the island's docks, Rezort staffers are there to greet guests, offer them champagne, and drive them to the hotel in Rezort-branded SUVs that will later double as safari vehicles when the group goes hunting.
Each group of new visitors is feted with a poolside party the first night, with Wilton herself addressing them and giving a speech about how humanity no longer has to fear the undead. As she delivers her speech, two staffers bring out a collared zombie and Wilton walks up to it, dangerously close and unfazed. Her act is meant to show visitors that they can face down their fears on The Rezort without putting themselves in real danger.
And that's what it is, initially -- we see another group led by a guide on "safari," shooting down zombies that are tethered with chains and other restricting contraptions. Melanie and Lewis join another group that goes out on safari looking for a similar experience.
But of course, things go wrong, and it isn't long before the risk-free experience of mowing down zombies becomes an experience with considerable risk as the park's "billion-dollar security system" is de-activated, possibly by activist hackers, and the zombies are unchained.
I'll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the most important and tense section of the movie. Suffice to say I went into The Rezort with low expectations, and by the time it was over I found myself wishing there was more.