Review: ME & MY MATES VS. THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (2015)
aka DEAD EXCHANGE Directed by Declan Shrubb Written by Declan Shrubb Starring Jim Jefferies, Adele Vuko, Alex Williamson, Greg Fleet, Matt Popp, Andy Trieu Retrieved: http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/75632#6 Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
More SHAUN OF THE DEAD than DAWN OF THE DEAD, ME & MY MATES VS. THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE stands above most zombie films because it has a lot of character and heart under that tough Australian exterior.
A trio of Australian pals, Jim (comedian Jim Jeffries), Daryl (Alex Williamson), and Roy (Greg Fleet), hole up in a telephone exchange building during the zombie apocalypse with Roy’s horny daughter Emma (Adele Vuko) and her two boyfriends. While the zombies make their way inside the building, the group struggles to escape the building to get to the military complex close by.
This is some pretty simple zombie stuff going on here as this film knows anyone interested in watching this film has seen a bunch of zombie films, so the initial outbreak crap is tossed aside for some more comedic scenes about a bunch of lifelong buddies trying to survive against insurmountable odds. Toss a horny daughter of one of the buddies into the mix and comedy ensues. What saves this film from being way too familiar are the pitch perfect comedic beats this film achieves as the group struggle to keep themselves from killing each other while hungry death claws at the door. Jeffries, Williamson, and Fleet are fantastic as blokes who love one another, but are annoyed as hell being under the same roof with one another. It’s a statement about how friends may grow apart, but never completely apart, and how important those bonds are in times of stress. If you think this is a message too sweet for a zombie film starring rough talkin’ guys from Australia, that’s kind of what the appeal of this film is. There is a surprising amount of tenderness to this film on top of dick, fart, and sex jokes.
The gore isn’t anything to stand up and scream about, nor is it terrible. Sometimes you see the same zombie getting killed over and over again, but this also adds to the charm of this film that may be low on budget, but high on character, laughs, and charm. If you’re sick to death of your typical zombie movie, give ME & MY MATES VS. THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE a try. It’s definitely something completely different than the norm.