Redcon-1 is yet another zombie film, this time from the UK. Director Chee Keong Cheung who also co-wrote the script with Steve Horvath (Rise Of The Gargoyles) and Mark Strange tries to add some new twists but the results are somewhat mixed.
Redcon-1 gets off to a rocky start with a collage of war, civil disorder and animal on animal violence footage before the situation gets explained. It seems a bloodborne pathogen is spreading through London. It turns its victims into highly aggressive killing machines. However, they still retain some of their memories and intelligence. For example, if you were a black belt before you were infected, you would still remember how to kick ass.
The infection is being held back in a quarantine zone for the moment. And somewhere in there is Dr. Raynes (Robert Goodale) the man responsible for it all. That makes him the one most likely to devise an antidote. So Cpt Marcus Stanton (Oris Erhuero, Highlander: Endgame) and his team, which includes Sgt Kira Paige (Katarina Leigh Waters, Killing Joan, The Other Side of the Ring), Sgt Reeves (Carlos Gallardo, El Mariachi, Dead Hooker In A Trunk) and Lieut Lau (Akira Koieyama, The Scopia Effect, 47 Ronin) are sent in to retrieve him.
The result is much like a mix of Escape from New York, Doomsday, 28 Days Later and Black Hawk Down. The idea of pitting an elite unit against rage zombies smart enough to set ambushes is an interesting one. Letting it go on for two hours, however, isn’t. Despite some fairly inventive doses of mayhem it all starts to become a bit much.
There really isn’t much plot, the team goes from location to location looking for him. Along the way they find a girl who seems to be immune to the virus and they bring her along. Apart from that Redcon-1 is near constant fighting. It’s the Raid 2 of zombie movies. Fights with zombies fights with a violent gang of looters, fights with each other.
The action scenes are very well done, which makes it easier to take. There isn’t a lot of the quick cut, shaky cam styled fight scenes that make it hard to follow the action or avoid a headache. But Redcon-1 would still have been better with 15-20 minutes less of it.
While Redcon-1 is proof to much of a good thing isn’t always better it will have its fans. And for those that find it a bit much, maybe watch it in two parts.
Dread and Epic Pictures will release Redcon-1 on VOD and Blu Ray May 7th.