Plane Dead (2007)

Director: Scott Thomas

Writer: Sidney Iwanter, Mark Onspaugh, Scott Thomas

Tagline: Un-Dead at 30,000 Feet.

Actors: David Chisum, Kristen Kerr, Sarah Laine, Kevin J. O'Connor, Richard Tyson, Erick Avari, Mieko Hillman, Derek Webster, Ashley Bashioum, Siena Goines, Laura Cayouette, Brian Kolodziej, Heidi Marnhout, Dale Midkiff, Ingrid Raines, Todd Babcock, Raymond J. Barry, Cliff Weissman, Tucker Smallwood, David Spielberg, Michael Tomlinson, Megan Wagner, Eric Price

Runtime: 1h 37m

Category: Zombie

Synopsis: A flight heading to Paris, France from Los Angeles is carrying very valuable cargo. A group of scientists have created a new virus strain of which there is no known cure or vaccine. They extracted DNA from a mosquito in the jungles of Vietnam and synthesized a biological weapon out of it. Meant to cause wounded soldiers to keep fighting regardless of their injuries, the scientists found another use for it: a way to destroy the enemy without firing a single shot! One of the scientists has been infected with the virus and has been quarantined in a type of frozen coffin, to keep her from reanimating. This coffin, located in the cargo hold, ends up jolting open due to massive turbulence while flying through a thunderstorm. The occupant stumbles out and ends up attacking the guard assigned to watch over her. Soon the infection has spread throughout the plane and only a few survivors remain to hold the undead at bay. Upon glancing out the window, the only remaining hostess notices a fighter jet riding along side the plane. The air marshal wastes no time in relaying the news that if they don’t make contact with the jet, they will be blown up. Finally making it to the cockpit, a police officer and his prisoner end up bringing the plane down in what looks like a desert. But the survivors are not the only ones who walk away.

Review: I was excited to see this movie from the time I originally heard about it. I knew it was gonna be an obvious take on Snakes on a Plane (2006), but I was very curious where they were gonna take this. With a small budget and a small following, this movie has the ability to make you jump out of your Croks in a joyous manner (I hate Croks), or make you want to take a pencil and jab it in your eye, and think about what you’re gonna look like in a jaunty eye-patch. Whatever side you plan on taking, just remember…it’s a cash-in flick with zombies and a low budget: this cocktail breeds some of the best films out there.

The story itself is quite interesting. I always love to see some one come up with another way to become infected with a zombie virus. Most of the major ideas have already been done (most, overplayed); genetic warfare, nuclear war and/or contamination, Voodoo, other religious sects, the list continues. But when some one comes up with something that is either new or not as overplayed is when I get all tingley inside. This concept however, is something that hadn’t occurred to me; a natural virus in isolation. And just like those military boys, “Let’s make a weapon out of it!” Back to the original plot, I was a bit precocious about it. I was not sure how they were gonna do it because, even on a 747, there is not a whole lot of room to get around. Some are enormous enough yes, but to have an outbreak of a zombie virus in such an enclosed space, with literally no where to go, made me nervous. But I thought they pulled it off quite well. They were able to pull the story along and draw it out, without making it seem drawn-out. This was achieved, in my opinion, by making the zombies attack the survivors in spurts; giving way to the extension of the story.

The acting was as elementary as expected. That’s what you get when you hire a bunch of nobodies and a few popular co-stars to star in a zombie movie. But once the outbreak started, I no longer felt animosity toward the bad acting. The cool make-up effects and beautiful overuse of blood left that fact in the preverbal dust.

I was surprised to see such gore in this movie. Although not chunky enough for my taste, the use of blood was not bad at all. It looked real enough…that’s all you really need. The kill scenes were simply inferred; no real skin tearing or throat gauging like I’m used to. But I would have to say that, for an independently made film, it was pretty good.

Rating: 19. I liked the movie, yes, but I must be fair. The acting was bad, the concept was ripped off, and the gore, although nice, was minimal. But the idea of the virus being natural and extracted from a mosquito in Vietnam was awesome. It’s about time someone comes up with another way to create zombies. (19of25).