Doctor Leads Rescue Team in Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Flick
Laura, played by Rachel Nichols, Was fortunate enough to avoid being infected by a deadly virus that decimated the population of New York. She is a Center for Disease Control (CDC) veteran in L.A. where she’s heading a rescue team assigned to find survivors among the masses of victims morphing into flesh-eating zombies immediately after dying from the fatal affliction.
Dr. Laura also harbors faint hopes of finding her husband and daughter as she dons a bio-hazard suit before embarking on the dangerous mission. She has three main partners in this endeavor. Trigger-fingered Gunner, played by Mekhi Phifer, Denise – a nurse who doubles as navigator, played by Missi Pyle, and Wheeler – an ex-con, played by Alfie Allen. Wheeler is the driver of their Department of Corrections school bus.
As they leave the safe confines of the compound, Gunner warns Laura to “Think of it as a game.” This advice comes in handy, since their vehicle is soon enough engulfed by a horde of hungry ghouls. In fact, Gunner gets to deliver the most memorable lines (“Ever play whack a mole?”) in the way of comic relief.
Directed by John Suits, Pandemic is a cliche-ridden horror flick that borrows the bulk of its ideas from the zombie genre inaugurated by Night of the Living Dead in 1968. If you’ve never seen one of these movies before, you’re likely to find this adventure fascinating. However, this low-budget offering doesn’t hold a candle to the original or to such recent homages as Zombieland (2009) or World War Z (2013). John Suits previously directed The Scribbler.
Pandemic is a paint-by-numbers production recommended for folks who can never get their fill of post-apocalyptic zombie fare.
Pandemic
Good (2 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 91 minutes
Studio: Parkside Pictures
Distributor: XLrator Media
