Customer Reviews

Pontypool

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I'm kind of on the fence with this movie, honestly. This was definitely not your typical zombie movie, so please don't go into it expecting lots of blood and gore. Personally, I don't need a ton of special effects and non-stop action to make a movie enjoyable, but for some, this may be a deal breaker. Due to the setting being in a radio station, there was a lot of dialogue that at times I found to be a bit cheesy. Through the description provided by the callers, the viewer is able to visualize for themselves what is going on. I like that this movie makes you work your imagination in that regard. The reason behind the infection was really bizarre and I found it off-putting. The movie didn't make it believable and that kind of ruined it for me a little at the end. I'm glad I watched this movie, but it's not going to be my staple rotation.

Let me start by saying that I'm huge lover of zombies and as such I bought this film because the preview looked promising. I liked the movie and I'm glad I bought it, as opposed to renting it, because I'm not sure what just happened. (Also, I think I'd still be waiting for it from NetFlix) The filming quality is decent, as are all of the other elements of the film, but given the lack of a set variety it is apparent that this is a pretty low budget operation. If you want blood and guts this is not for you. This is one of the more thought provoking zombie films I've seen. (Whether it is due to confusion, true ingeniousness, or pretension, is up for debate.) I still don't really understand what causes zombies in this world. I would have given it four stars, but I know I tend to like things that many people don't care for. I recommend you see it if you like this type of movie, but you have to approach it with an open mind.

"Just listen to me."

You wouldn't know it, but this little dialogue blip haunted me just long enough to know that, subsequent to viewing the trailer, McDonald's Pontypool would be an experience I would never forget. Just when cinema's zombie revival experiment begins to show signs of banality, we are given a gift from an ambitious director that, although certainly difficult to digest, is one the most compelling and original zombie in ages.

Working with truly terrifying source material, McDonald builds a fortress of tension out of, seemingly, nothing at all. Indeed, nearly the entirety of the film takes place within a radio station, and even then, within the confines of a modest sound booth. That said, it is a testament to the staggering talent of both the director and his team when I say that what is accomplished with so little is utterly unnerving. Even for minimalist cinema, this is a film that works with mere shadows, putting its faith in the audience to fill in the frightening details.

Pontypool is that rare horror film that grows more disturbing upon successive viewings. Given its plot, which I will absolutely not spoil, it is admittedly ironic that, the more you analyze and come to learn, the more creepy things become. It's a stunning achievement that I cannot applaud enough; it goes beyond mere psychological horror, nestling quietly in the voids of the uncanny and the abstract, and it will chill you to the bone.

Indeed, this film oozes a taut indy style that few mainstream features can replicate, all the way down to a genuinely sharp script that gives the impeccably chosen cast something intelligent to work with, especially Stephen McHaddy's, who's performance is the stuff of career breakouts.

It needs to be acknowledged that, yes, Pontypool is a zombie movie for people who don't want to watch the conventional zombie movie anymore - at least those that aren't directed by Danny Boyle. And no, it doesn't necessarily require a patient or tolerant mind to enjoy the film. That said, this certainly isn't something that you would see greenlit by the heavyweight studios, and for good reason; it lacks the docu-mocku style that has become prevalent in the genre; nor is it a shock-fest; and it is completely devoid of recognizable names. But for those who have the opportunity to get their hands on McDonald's ingenious little gem, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better thinking man's horror film.

When the town of Pontypool woke up this morning, they never expected a day like today. Neither did the D.J. taking to the town's airwaves or the people outside of the town or the rest of the world. Something starts to happen, however, and it is one of those weird little things. People basically start to lose it, sometimes in some singular way and sometimes in larger groups, and that leads to massive amounts of madness. As the things start to become worse and the world looks on, the answers become odder and the words said become stranger and stranger.

Pontypool is an interesting idea but it is one that develops strangely. Iy has a lot of ideas it wants to try and develop, too, and those ideas are not exactly the easiest to get across. Sure, some of them sound like they would work when you start to try them out, but how easily does something come across when you put an idea into practice? Vague - I am trying not to spoil anything so it is that. Still, it is a valid concern when you get into just what is driving people to the brink.

When it comes to the acting in the movie, you have different flavors that move througout the film. Sometimes it is one of those moments when a person is trying to say something with overacting in their minds and sometimes it is a perfect delivery that happens to take place. Regrdless, it works out in large part because the movie is a broadcast that we are tuning into, and we hear some of the horro as it plays out. That means that we hear a lot of people, sometimes at the wors tof times and sometimes at their end, and it stretches the notion of what is happening.
I like it, too, and the way it plays out.

The people that become "infected" are not in the movie a lot, but when they are they are inspiring to a degree. sometimes it is the way that they showcase madness and sometimes it is the way that they bang their head against a soundbooth. whatever the case, the force of the movie is in that and in the wording and in the motions that sleep between the this and the that.
It is watchable, but it can become convoluted when you hear some of the explanation.

When it comes to wathcing this, I am of two minds. I liked the movie BUT i like a lot of movies, and some of it threw me when it was explained. As I said before, there are ideas and there are ideas with explanations attached. These sometimes are threadlike in their ties that bind and, in the process of showcasing the intellectual, they lose people. This can be a really flawed thing when it comes to the delivery that sleeps in a movie that is not bedgeted to compensate for that, and I am not certain that everyone can overlook that. If, however, you do not mind the "why" and enjoy the chase, then this is a nice fim. It has a broadcast that explains everything and it captures a lot of what extras oftentimes try to accomplish. This makes it a strong 4.5 or 4.6, rounding into the B-movie 5 star roster.

Thank you.

I thought this was going to be a typical "zombie horror film", and while there are certain zombie-like elements, this is really an end-of-the-world apocalypse film. It is unsettling, funny, has great performances, and forces the viewer to use their imagination. Most of the action takes place inside a radio station as we hear what is happening in the outside world, and like the characters in the movie, the viewer is trying to piece the puzzle together. The reason behind the mayhem is a mindbending, David Cronenberg-inspired outlandish concept. It's never really explained why it happens and there is much left to interpretation. Thus, this kind of film will ultimately loose 75% of your typical audience that insists on simple ideas tied up in pretty bows at the end. But for those who get it, the ride is unsettling, thought-provoking and ultimately frighteningly entertaining. One of the best horror films of the last decade.

I gave this five stars, even though I didn't care for the way it ended. I watch tons of horror movies, and get tired of seeing the same things over and over. This one definitely sits outside the "done to death" category. I liked the idea behind it, and it was well-written. I thought it was well-acted, also, which is something we don't see every day in this genre. Check this one out.

While the first half of Pontypool is quite boring, the film does eventually actually GO somewhere remotely interesting. Still, I can't quite forgive the movie after sitting through 45 minutes of pure dreck.

It should be said that the ENTIRE movie takes place inside a radio station (or recording studio). This means if you don't particularly care for the setting, you don't have a choice but to deal with it.

Did I like the setting? It's alright. It DOES give off a claustrophobic feeling which makes the atmosphere and storytelling a cut above the rest. It's especially good for a zombie flick since it gives off the feeling of being completely trapped and blocked in with nowhere to go.

The fact that the first half of the film is devoted entirely to a group of radio broadcasters constantly trying to figure out what's going on by communicating with people and trying to get answers *did* initially have potential, but you know, after 45 minutes and STILL no interesting conversations taking place, this ends up really damaging the potential this film might have had.

After a while I was beginning to wonder if any actual suspense would even develop or if the movie writers were going for a cheap gimmick and not actually showing any zombie encounters. Hey, this definitely crossed my mind several times.

The acting is also hard to forgive. It's definitely average at best, and I don't care how original people think the storyline is- it's no excuse for subpar acting skills.

Eventually however, Pontypool does improve as the zombies make their presence known.

I will give the film credit for a few things- it does develop into a decent atmosphere during the second half, there was a bit of originality pertaining to the possibility of zombies being able to read lips, and the ending is pretty good. I don't know what the popular consensus is over the ending, but I liked it.

I guess the segments dealing with the signs that people were beginning to change into zombies was a nice example of good writing as well. The people would begin to stutter and repeat the same words over and over in addition to being somewhat forgetful, which would make everyone nervous because they knew what was about to happen to them. This reminds me of nightmares I've had in the past, so this was some enjoyable writing.

A decent movie, but not one of the best zombie films, and not a classic or anything.

A movie that unquestionably stirs the imagination to no end. It isn't your run-of-the-mill zombie flick. Rather, it's a masterpiece of a psychological horror film that provides a completely unique perspective of impending doom and the unknown as the world collapses around the main characters. Grant Mazzy, "taking no prisoners", played by Stephen McHattie is remarkable, shining in the lead role as the town's skeptically humorous radio broadcaster. Highly recommended movie -- PonyPool, PontyPool, PontyPool.

It is so refreshing to see a new excellent horror film arise from the muck of redundant copy cat genre clones and unwelcome remakes. This film deserves to be seen by every horror fan out there regardless if you are a zombie fan or not. What makes it work is the fact that director Bruce McDonald puts his three characters into an isolated situation that slowly boils into sheer terror. Yes, we've seen it all before in the two versions of 'The Thing' and countless isolated zombie incidents that pop up in endless living dead variations , but McDonald makes it all seem fresh and new. The gore is kept to a minimal output , the film is like an updated take on the Val Lewton 'less is more' horror tactic. The atmosphere is so tense that when the shocks are delivered, I found myself bouncing up from my chair. The ending may divide some audiences but that's what good cinema is all about. All in all, the best zombie film of the decade.

Not at all what I expected from this "zombie film." I watch a lot of horror movies, and I am getting tired of seeing the same thing over and over. While I love zombie movies, I went into this a little cynical. The genius is how minimal this movie is. Almost all of the action takes place inside the radio station. We only hear what is happening in the outside world, through what the characters in the movie hear. The actors are all superb. But Stephen McHattie really steals the movie. What a tremendous actor!

There is never a neat explanation to the mayhem, which I enjoyed because it made this much more realistic. If something like this ever really did happen it would be unlikely that we would be given some neat answer tied up in a pretty bow at the end. It's what makes this movie suspenseful, thought-provoking and so frightening.