Tucker and Dale VS. Evil

Director - Eli Craig

Starring - Tyler Labine (Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)), Alan Tudyk (I, Robot), Katrina Bowden (Piranha 3DD)
Release Date -2010
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "This year Spring break is cut short!"
Format - Blu Ray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

I have to be honest, going into this movie I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard a few people talk about this one a while back and gave it a watch. Since then it has easily become one of my favorites. It's just good, gory fun! The very beginning of the film is a reporter with her camera man at a crime scene. As they are looking for further clues they end up running into a disfigured man, and well, you can guess how the rest of that goes. Then you rewind a few days. Two hillbilly's are on their way to their vacation home. While on their way they run into some college students, who are on a camping trip, at a gas station. One of the hillbilly's, Dale (Tyler Labine) finds one of the college students, Allison (Katrina Bowden) attractive. In an attempt to talk to her he ends up scaring off the students. Finally Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale, also known as the hillbilly's reach their vacation home, and the students reach the area they're camping in. (Which ends up being in the woods near the cabin.). Next thing you see is what looks like a flashback. One of the college kids, Chad (Jesse Moss) is telling a story about his family who was "tortured" by hillbilly's. His father was killed and his mother managed to escape while she was pregnant with him. After the story is done, they decide to go swimming. As time passes Tucker and Dale decide to go fishing. Coincidentally the college kids are swimming in the same area. One of the Students, Allison is about to jump off a rock into the water when she sees Tucker and Dale which causes her to slip, fall, and hit her head. Trying to help out the hillbilly's take her in their boat. While attempting to tell the college kids that they have her, they think the hillbilly's have kidnapped her and run away.

The next day Allison wakes up inside the hillbilly's vacation home, terrified. Finally she realizes that they aren't scary nor out to kill them like the rest of the college kids think. While they are safe inside, the college kids are accidentally killing themselves outside in the woods. All in an attempt to "save" Allison. It finally reaches a stand off between one of the college kids, Chad (Jesse Moss) who is in love with Allison, and Dale, who is also in love with Allison. Dale manages to save Allison from Chad, who you find out is half hillbilly. While in denial he falls off the top of the barn and to his "death". The movie closes with Dale going to visit Tucker in the hospital. Tucker tells Dale that he needs to ask Allison out, so he does. The final scene is Dale and Allison at a bowling ally on their first date.

I don't know where to start with what I loved about this movie. Between the ad-libbing, the death scenes, the acting, it is definitely worth a watch. (Even if you aren't super big into horror, I just wouldn't recommend it if you can't handle blood.) I haven't had this much fun with a horror movie in a while. The casting of Labine and Tudyk was perfect. They had this innocence that was so fitting. You really start to feel bad for them when they start to wonder what they will do about all the college kids killing themselves. The movie is just flat out fun. This movie is definitely one of those hidden gems that deserves more recondition. If you're hesitant on it, it is on Netflix if you would like to give it a watch!