After the huge success of Snakes on the Plane, it was only a matter of time before we get something like this. Flight of the Living Dead is a cheesy and unpretentious horror comedy aimed at the fans of the genre. Everything about the story, characters, and setting is familiar but somehow still fun. Moreover, you really can’t guess which characters are going to make it. For example, the pretty brunette you could bet your life would be fighting the zombies with our hero is not going to survive the opening attack.
You can say that Flight of the Living Dead is a movie of two halves. During the opening 45 minutes, we will get a lot of so bad that it’s good scenes and get to know our protagonists a little better. After the inevitable outbreak, the movie leans heavily into action and gore. The quality of practical effects is surprisingly good for this type of a production. Now, this hard turn does mess with the atmosphere a bit but it also offers a bit of tension.
The key to making a good zombie horror comedy is to not take yourself too seriously. Although I really can’t tell if they were intentionally doing this or it just accidentally happened. I mean, just take the scene where our two strapping young lads start throwing the football inside the plane. It’s at the same time corny, cheesy but also hilarious. Especially when you combine it what that late aughts vibe.
Passengers on a routine flight from Los Angeles to Paris have no idea that there’s something in the cargo area of the plane. Three scientists have smuggled a special crate containing a sample of a deadly virus. A virus that can reanimate the dead. If everything goes as they planned, they can continue their research and possibly discover a way for humans to live indefinitely. However, we all know that’s not going to happen.
The over-the-top gore complete with blood squirting is just so juicy. Plus, the way the story progresses is creative. I mean, you’re confined to this one location, a plane, so how are you going to have your zombies attack from the cargo area? There were even some cool shots with reflections and shit. The cast did a terrific job of getting the tone of their performances just right.
Flight of the Living Dead is a movie worth watching for all zombie fans. And if you’re a zombie fan and you also like bad movies, it’s a must. Well-crafted, entertaining, and bloody, it’s perfect for those movie nights when you have people over. Finally, if you like this concept I must tell you that there’s a video game Zombies on a Plane that’s not half-bad.
Director: Scott Thomas
Writers: Sidney Iwanter, Mark Onspaugh, Scott Thomas
Cast: David Chisum, Kristen Kerr, Kevin J. O’Connor, Richard Tyson, Erick Avari, Derek Webster
Fun Facts: The movie has three different titles: Plane Dead, Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane, and Zombies on a Plane.
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780583/
