Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

It's so appropriate that after seeing the somewhat underwhelming ATTACK THE BLOCK, another film would take some of the weaknesses of that film, and improve upon them. It's sort of like the saying that the only way to critique a film is to make another film. In ATTACK THE BLOCK, there's a certain disposal of characters that I found an uneven counterpart to the tone of the rest of the film. In TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, however, there's a gleeful and gruesome disposal of characters that's so germane to the rest of the film, that I was far from bothered. In the film, which is very oddly politically correct, Tucker & Dale are on their way to their vacation home, a gross shack in the middle of the woods. On their way, they encounter a group of college kids. Dale prods Tucker to go and talk to one of the girls, but the duo are stereotypical looking hillbillies, and when Tucker goes up to the college kids wielding a scythe, less than the standard amount of teeth, and a creepy laugh, the college kids freak out, yelling at him to back off. But in truth, Dale and Tucker are some mild characters, only wishing to have a few beers, play a few board games, and hang out at their vacation home. Later that night, the boys are out fishing, and spot the college girl, Allison (Katrina Bowden), from earlier, stripping down to go swimming. She sees them, becomes startled, falls, and knocks herself out. When the boys rescue her, and yell to the college kids across the lake that "we got yer girl!", they college kids assume that Tucker & Dale have kidnapped her, and what follows is a series of miscommunications between the two groups, all based off of the college kids' presumptions that Tucker and Dale are dangerous hillbillies. What ensues is actually pretty damn funny, and the film doesn't lose its form even in the final scenes. Bowden is a little bit unconvincing in an unconvincing role, but she forgivably continues to play "the hot chick" among well written scripts.

★★★ out of Five