Tucker & Dale vs. Evil takes all of the cliches from the genre of horror and slice it up into tiny pieces for some big laughs. Very few have been able to take such a well-loved yet predictable genre and turn it in to an enjoyable, clever, and actually funny creation, but, along with films like Shaun of the Dead, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil does just that. Director Eli Craig finds a nice balance between the blood, gore, and humor which all arise from a simple premise that keeps getting crazier and crazier. By the end, it makes the movie that much more entertaining and fun to watch.
The horror-comedy takes on two perspectives here. The first perspective comes from the college kids who only go by looks and within seconds automatically assume Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are hillbilly murderers who want them dead. So once one of their friends, Allison (Katrina Bowden), appears to be taken by the two rednecks, the rest of the annoying kids go on a rescue mission that goes terribly wrong. Of course, that only leaves one other perspective and it’s that of Dale and Tucker.
They are best friends who are going up to their “fixer-upper” vacation home in the woods. All they want to do is drink, fish, and enjoy some relaxation. And it is these two guys who actually rescue Allison and take her back to their cabin for her to rest and get well while they wait for her friends to come get her.
Tucker and Dale think they are doing the right thing (which they are), but that is not how the college kids see it. It is one big misunderstanding with both groups scared as hell and everyone thinking they are the victims in this whole mess. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is simply coincidence that evolves in to a full-on massacre and a game of survival.
The duo of Tudyk and Labine is more than spectacular. Their chemistry is terrific and they work exceptionally well together. They seem absolutely perfect for a movie like this. Craig takes this story. No matter how gruesome or chaotic it gets, he brings a caring sweetness to it. No matter how weird that may sound, it’s the truth. There is a message about judging people for what they look like without ever even meeting or speaking to them. I believe we have all done that at least once in our lives.
The movie includes rednecks and preppy college kids. Both of these groups have their fair share of stereotypes, but if the college kids would have actually gotten to know Tucker and Dale, they would have understood and lives could have been saved. However, that is not the case which is why Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is intelligent, funny, and undoubtedly disgusting. It is a horror movie that succeeds in making you laugh on purpose.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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