Plaga zombie: Zona mutante (2001 Video) User Reviews

Not bad, not great, I'm still wrestling with whether or not I ever need to watch this film again.

[Death_to_Pan_and_Scan · 5/10 · 28 July 2006]

I am a big fan of zombie films and even own over 50 of them on DVD, but it's one of those genres like vampires where every one and their brother seems to be taking a camcorder and making one in their backyard. There are great zombie films and downright awful ones and this falls into the middle (putting it way ahead of some low budget garbage I've sat through). It's not as good as some indie zombies & aliens films like "Undead", but to be fair, that film had a one million dollar budget and this most obviously did not have the same level of resources to draw upon.

This production was plagued with problems and took 4 years to complete. It's not a bad film per se, just not one whose story particularly interests me. It's an achievement for those involved that they finished it at all and the technical aspects of it are better than many no-budget zombie films (often shot-on-video) being made these days -- films like "Stink of Flesh" or the simply atrocious "Dead Life", which aren't much worth watching unless you want a course in how NOT to make a film. Sequels in name only like "Day of the Dead 2: Contagium", "House of the Dead 2" and "Return of the Living Dead 4 & 5" also fit into said category, yet were made with bigger budgets thereby making their failures even more egregious. Plaga Zombie: Mutant Zone achieves its artistic goals far better than those films.

THE STORY: Here is where I had most of my problems with the film... Yes, some of the stuff is downright goofy, but that in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. I REALLY don't care for pro-wrestling as a sport in general (be it American or of the Spanish or Mexican luchador variety which didn't endear me to the no-budget zombie film "Enter Zombie King"). I have zero interest in seeing two potentially gay fan boys fight over a luchador whose career is ended. I'd just as soon want to watch a film that wants me to feel sorry for a H.S. football captain who, after being the big shot at school, has gone on to work selling tires or working a gas station, his glory days behind him and then watch a fan boy following him around like he's still a big deal and then add zombies to the equation. Obviously, the film never connected me to this major character and as a result I had difficulty connecting to the film itself, though others may really enjoy it. But I will have to say the set decoration for John West's trophy room was well done. I loved the idea of a single floppy disk holding pertinent info necessary to the characters' survival and which takes 12 hours to 'decode' itself (I'm obviously being sarcastic on that point, I hate when films do senseless things with computers). This was obviously one of those IDIOT PLOT POINTS to kill time and have characters run in circles to get them where the writer wanted them. I didn't enjoy the plot enough to be really looking forward to a 3rd film to finish the trilogy.

The Camera-work and FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY are both pretty good for a no-budget shot-on-video production. They seem to have a better idea what they are doing than most no budget zombie films.

MAKEUP: facial makeup (latex) is obviously low budget but an improvement over the face paint of the 1st film. The gore shots are decent for no budget and there are some entertaining effects shots.

DE-ANIMATION METHODS: not quite sure how to kill a zombie in this film, there seems to be lots of decapitation though.

This isn't a bad film and you may like it better than I did, I just wasn't big on the story. It's much better than lots of ultra low budget zombie films coming out in the past decade and it does have its technical merits which make me think the filmmakers could go on to better things if they keep at it.

Now, this is a pleasure. Ahora, esto es un placer.

[nicoamil · 7/10 · 29 November 2002]

Now we are talking of a great B class movie. This guys really have what they need. The acting, in charge of the same who wrote and directed the movie, is unique. The FX are one of a kind for the cash used, the script is attractive at the same time that is very very funny and the cameras, WOW, it is obvius that there is talent in this movie!!! The only problem with this film, is that when it comes to the end, you want even more. We´ll have to wait for a sequel, and I hope to be in it someway or another!

Intentionally silly Argentinian zombie mayhem.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 19 July 2008]

An enthusiastically splattery, low-budget comedy gore-fest from Argentina, Zombie Plague Mutant Zone sees three survivors of a zombie outbreak (caused by an alien virus) intercepted by the authorities and thrown straight back into the now quarantined town. The trio, an ex pro-wrestler named John West (Pablo Parés), medical student Bill (Pablo Parés), and a nerd called Max (Hernán Sáez), fend off the undead whilst trying to figure out a way to escape their predicament.

With a visual style very reminiscent of Peter Jackson's early horror classics, this ultra-bloody slice of cartoon-style splat-stick starts off very promisingly, featuring plenty of silly laughs and loads of cheap 'n' cheerful make-up and gore. Unfortunately, it soon becomes evident that silly laughs and loads of cheap 'n' cheerful make-up and gore is all the film does have to offer, and proceedings eventually become rather tiresome. There is zero plot development and the directors (stars Parés and Sáez) obviously don't know when to call it a day (even after the end credits have started rolling, they feel the need to throw in an unnecessary epilogue).

Still, if you don't mind the repetitiveness of the action (fight scene, followed by silly zombies, followed by fight scene, followed by silly zombies, followed by fight scene), there are definitely enough good moments to make staying for the duration worthwhile: an early three stooges style gag with a severed arm; a revolting bit in which a zombie clutches his lower bowel and releases a stream of feces into the hero's face; a kung fu fight using a torn, bloody appendage as a weapon; a climactic battle which includes some terrific and very inventive effects; and an enjoyably daft musical interlude (featuring the catchy John West theme tune).

If only the makers had added a bit more meat to the story, and shaved a little bit off the running time, then this one would've got a 7 out of 10 from me. As it stands, it gets a 6.

An incredible and amazing second part!!

[edgardo-5 · 28 March 2002]

The people who send us "plaga zombie" are back with an extraordinary second chapter full of blood, gore and fun.This movie is totally awesome and enjoyable than the first. This is a good tribute to the platter genre and a milestone in the Argentinian movie story.

great film, but my copy had no subtitles!

[undeadmachine669 · 7/10 · 22 January 2006]

I found this movie to be very funny and the gore was outstanding. A couple things I didn't enjoy so much was that the zombies make-up effects were a bit too fake and my copy has no subtitles! Mine is the Fangoria International release and claims to have subtitles, but due to some manufacturing flaw, there are none. Of course, this is no fault of the actual movie, just the company...However the fact that I still found the dialog's hilarious and had no idea what they were saying speaks in waves about the actors performances. The John West theme song still sticks in my head and I laugh every time I think about it. I recommend this movie to any fans of early Peter Jackson films like Braindead and Bad Taste, and also to zombie fans in general. Just make sure your copy has subtitles if you don't understand the language, of course. This is a massive step up from the original Plaga Zombie.

More zombie nonsense....not as good as the first

[The_Void · 5/10 · 11 June 2009]

The original Plaga Zombie was a surprisingly good little zombie film - especially good considering that it was made for about $120. It was short, sweet, fun and entertaining. For this follow up, made four years after the original, I'm guessing the filmmakers got a bigger budget to work with; and the result is a longer film. The plot is some nonsense about aliens, and basically just an excuse to have all the people from the first film going back into town to fight zombies again. What this film really proves is that bigger is not necessarily better. The extra runtime basically just means more scenes of zombies getting mashed up by various weapons, and while it was sort of fun in the first film; it soon gets tedious in this one. I guess that after a while (about forty minutes of screen time), the producers realised that they couldn't just have the main characters fighting zombies for an hour and a half, and so the plot is padded out with a whole load of bizarre stuff that isn't funny or interesting. The special effects are cheap and nasty too; which isn't surprising considering the obvious budget constraints. All in all, I really can't say I was impressed with this. I'd recommend the first film, but not this follow-up!

AMAZING

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 9 May 2023]

Just minutes after the end of Plaga Zombie, the sequel lets us know that the Argentine government is working with the alien zombies in exchange for protection from the dreaded virus that has started to change the world.

Only Bill Johnson (Pablo Parés), John West (Berta Muñiz) and Max Giggs (Hernán Sáez) have survived the initial outbreak and they are to be released back into their overrun neighborhood. That is unless Agent James Dana (Esteban Podetti) and his death squad don't kill them first.

If you follow the river of blood and gore, you go from Sam Raimi to Peter Jackson to this film, which delights in showing ways that zombie bodies can be desiccated, destroyed and decimated. And if you love wrestlers beating up the undead, well, John West has an entire musical number where he explains how tough he is and how much he loves to rekill the living dead.

Anyone who doesn't like this movie has no idea how to have fun. I've read some reviews that say, "Well, it gets complicated" or "It's too long." I have no idea how one can be critical of a movie where a zombie has its intestines torn out and then sprays diarrhea all over the place. I mean, how many Merchant Ivory movies can give us that? This is pure joy, made by people who are in love with making it. Just sit back, shut off your hypercritical mind and enjoy what they have made for you.

A great, cheap slaughter-fest

[woowoowoonin · 9/10 · 17 November 2005]

Man o man I love zombie movies. If you do too, the chances are good that you'll like this little gem. Here are a few key facts: 1) It's Argentinian. And the DVD I got does not have a dubbed version, only subtitles. So if you're one of those wussies who can't handle reading and watching at the same time.....

2) It must have had a budget of about 7 Argentinian dollars. Rather than taking away from the film, I think it actually makes it better. The gore is fantastic for a low-budget foreign horror flick.

3) The actors are obviously having a blast. Two of the main characters also wrote and directed this. They have a lot of really good shots, some kick-a$$ action sequences, and many shots of "Bill" simply looking pi$$sed.

All in all, if you like gore/splatter flicks, zombie flicks, or just plain kick-a$$ flicks, go ahead and get this movie.

just jumped to the top of my list..

[judahverrecke-1 · 10/10 · 15 February 2006]

.. of the horror-comedy genre.. easily.. don't know how it escaped me this long, but i picked it up last weekend because it looked like it'd give me some laughs, and i was coming off of my grandmother's funeral and laughs were going to be hard to come by..

well, laugh i did..

from one of the earliest scenes with the (what really has to be considered) immortal line 'on the count of three.. let's get out of here', i knew i was in for something special..

the references go deeper than just peter jackson and romero.. i saw some WONDERFUL references to 'big trouble in little china' that had me nearly in tears..

i'm not going to spoil it for anyone by telling a lot about it.. i watched it without any prior knowledge of it and i have to believe that's the best way with this movie.. if you're EXPECTING to see what they give you it may not be as effective..

all i can really say is when he pulls out the 45... oh man..

and i ain't talking' about a gun, either..

truly.. a hero and champion..

Brilliant Film

[f-melo · 10/10 · 3 August 2004]

This is a great low budget movie that shows how people who have no money have to use their imagination to tell great stories and create great characters. Farsa Productions shows great ability and technique in all aspects of movie making, and this turns out to be an old fashioned, ass kicking zombie movie. Inspiring and honest, these crew of young film makers will soon become famous, as their early influences did (Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi). Great Special effects, editing, and writing. The three main characters have the charisma to become low budget legends such as Evil Dead's ash, or troma's kabukiman. I hope everybody can see the good taste and excellent work behind all the gory sequences.

Highly recommended!!

Highly enjoyable and entertaining sequel

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 4 February 2017]

Learning of the governments' intentions, a group of survivors from a strange alien infection in their home-town finds themselves stranded back in the infected town with hordes of zombies and are forced to band together once again to defeat the creatures and get out alive.

This one was quite an improvement on the original and has a lot to really like. Like the first one, there's a lot to really enjoy here about the film's absolutely fast-paced and frenzied pace which really works quite well for this one. Almost immediately, it drops into the trio being inundated within the town borders and forced to confront the creatures out in the streets as the brawling and chasing throughout their small-town streets and into the abandoned house which starts this one off quite nicely. The scenes of them coming across the swarms in the playground or around the train-yard which all features the early mixing of the high-quality splatter with the introduction of genuinely funny comedy together which comes from their reactions to the zombies around them as well as the great swarming tactics to battle them off that gives this the kind of high-quality feel that's quite enjoyable. The scenes of the hordes running after them through the streets buildings of their town all follow through with some nice action and enjoyment, while the scenes of the group encountering the zombies inside their house before they're captured by the government agents and are taken to the zombies' work-farm with the other survivors that becomes a great deal of fun with the series of battles occurring throughout the compound as there's a great deal of dismembering and battling that requires all sorts of rather fun confrontations throughout here which makes this not only a thrilling time but also a grand showcase of some inventive and wholly gruesome gore-gags that come off exceptionally well here. Given this is all done with a much bigger and more impressive budget that doesn't look like a hindrance at all here which makes the gore and the zombies look much better and more realistic, this is enough to hold this up over it's few minor flaws. The biggest issue here is the rather overlong and somewhat more involved storyline that makes no sense for their inclusion here beyond that extra running time, as there's no need for the film to run with the gag of them running around with the body-bag throughout the first half as that's utterly ridiculous and holds up the fighting trying to keep that secured, and that it manages to introduce the utterly lame angle with the superfan later on that's painfully obvious stretched out time that has no place at all in the film. Those segments just drag on endlessly and serve no purpose here, being quite easy to cut it all out without really affecting the movie much. As well, there's also the issue of its clumsy handling of the finale which is quite rushed and feels like way too many elements were attempted here without really making it clear what was the initial attempt here. Overall, though, there's not as much to complain about this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Violence and Language.

Fun And Gory Zombie Horror/Comedy

[EVOL666 · 8/10 · 11 March 2006]

PLAGA ZOMBIE: ZONA MUTANTE is obviously going to be lumped in with other horror/comedy "classics" such as BRAINDEAD, and EVIL DEAD 2 - and for good reason. This film definitely has MANY elements that borrow liberally from those films (including a lot of how the action and gore scenes are shot) but this film definitely holds up as a fun, gory, silly zombie/comedy of it's own. My only problem is that I haven't yet seen the first installment, so I feel that I may be missing some of the "background"...either way - this is still a fun film and a credit to low-budget splatter films...

Computer-nerd Max, med-student Bill, and ex-wrestler John, are stuck in a town full of zombies that are a result of some weird alien experiment. The government isn't gonna go in to help these guys out - so they're on their own to fight their way through hordes of undead freaks and try to find their way out of town...

PZ:ZM is pretty much a blast all the way through. It never lags and is fast-paced from beginning to end. There are some really great FX for such a low-budget film, the acting is on-par to a production of this level, and there are several genuinely funny moments (the John West theme song-and-dance being particularly ridiculous...) that make this film a winner. Not too much to really complain about from this one. Not quite as brilliant as BRAINDEAD in my opinion - but definitely a contender and in good company with the other horror/comedy "masterpieces". Definitely worth a look to zombie/splatter/comedy fans. 8.5/10

A simply great horror action zombie comedy gore treat

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 16 February 2006]

This gloriously wild, crazy, funny and gory as all hell zombie splatter action extravaganza centers on three colorfully flaky and funny ordinary guys -- smart and resourceful medical student Bill Johnson, hopelessly geeky computer nerd Max Giggs, and rough'n'tumble cowboy ex-wrestler John West -- who have to fight their way through thousands of zombies when they find themselves trapped in a city that's overrun with the wickedly clever and hyperactive suckers.

Man, is this just a truly great off-the-wall fright flick blast: brash, dynamic, fast-paced, often hilarious, frequently thrilling, briskly directed, and acted with lip-licking enthusiasm by an admirably committed cast, every last frame of this fabulous film oozes with a joy, passion and vitality that's a real treat to watch. Moreover, the picture is loaded with lots of over-the-top gore (literally buckets of blood and guts are graphically spilled in this doozy), outrageous humor, a very wacky and unpredictable plot, and several incredibly nutty (and undeniably exciting) go-for-broke loony action set pieces. Better still, the three main characters are genuinely charming, amusing and above all engaging. My favorite character is John West, a big, hulking, lovable lug of a guy who's both a simple cowboy and a butt-stomping former professional wrestler who's fallen from grace. Berta Muniz brings a winningly good-natured sense of goof-ball humor and sweet humanity to John West which in turn makes the huge palooka a positively endearing fellow. The fact that the interaction between our three amiable protagonists is surprisingly rich and complex substantially adds to the film's sterling quality. The three main actors play their parts with tremendous appeal and conviction, thereby bringing a wonderful human element to the basically gonzo proceedings. The second entry in a possible trilogy and the rare instance of a sequel being an improvement on the original, this divinely demented and deliriously enjoyable jaw-dropping goony delight is eminently worthy of cult status and absolutely essential viewing for hardcore zombie film fans. It's without a doubt the best, most imaginative and flat-out immensely entertaining undead item to scurry across the screen thus far in the new millennium.

Well...

[marcosxxxm · 12 September 2010]

To say that this is a good film would be a lie, but to say that it is an entertaining film is an acceptable statement.

The budget in non existing, so is the acting, the story, the makeup, the script, the photography, the editing the directing, etc. But I already said this is not a good movie.

Neither is "Bad Taste", and yet I had fun with that one as well.

I honestly can't really explain why this movie in entertaining to me. I guess I just really admire people who make movies with no money whatsoever. But this flick has some cool stuff in it, it's that simple.

Of course it is an acquired taste. A great deal of people will absolutely despise this movie.

I think you can have a pretty good idea of what you are in for by checking out the cover, plot, trailer, etc, so if you are at all curious, I say give it a go.

Great zombie comedy. Perfect.

[dasa108 · 10/10 · 15 December 2022]

It is the best comedy of zombies made in South America and one of the best in the world. There is an invasion of mutant zombies and a group of Hérioes experts in various disciplines (wrestling, martial arts) will have a relentless battle to save their lives and put a stop against all that madness. There are several adorable characters: John West and his admirer are giant (memorable song to hum again and again) while others have great level. Special effects are practical and look good while management and production are excellent. Argentina can offer great genre cinema and that is a great example. Beautiful film.

The FBI use wrestler John West and his compatriots to fight ET-alien zombies

[monelleanti · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

Forget "Walking Dead", "Night of The Living Dead", "Zombi"... etc. "Plaga Mutant Zone"...RULES--- whilst especially English Commentary ... even better than the dialog version! Wish I knew Spanish (or maybe Portuguese--- no I think these guys are Venezualan but I get Argentina and Venezualian and Spanish and the guys with Portuguese accents who sound like Dracula all confused... but these Plaga Mutant Zone geniuses claim they have a British accent when they speak Spanish (?)---- they love George Bush Sr. and hate the younger..--- Well I think both were really OK and the FBI and CIA are really OK too... but who cares?... when you have THE GREATEST COOLEST NICEST MOST DANGEROUS GORIEST MOST INTELLIGENT ZOMBIE SHOW OF ALL TIME--- PLAGA MUTANT ZONE. For the next one, get some howdies (chix) in bikinis.... & maybe naked Artists' models --- (but no porn, that's not nice).