Another little gem from Hong Kong which should be filed alongside "The Untold Story II" and "Made in Hong Kong" for its stylish take on a familiar theme. "Bio Zombie" could easily be dismissed a yet another addition to the tired zombie genre but it is raised several notches by the energetic performances of Sam Lee and Jordan Chan in the lead roles.
"Bio Zombie" has the standard storyline for films about the undead, beginning with a shady business deal involving an incubated zombie which escapes and reeks havoc. The first half of the film takes time to introduce the various characters while the second half contains the necessary action and bloodletting.
Most of the action takes place in a shopping mall, similar to George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", and there are several horror film cliches such as the tough guy who turns out to be a coward and the friendly zombie who helps the humans. However, this is a worthy addition to the genre mainly because of the often bizarre characters and unnerving imagery, something which also typified "The Untold Story II".
There is nothing particularly scary about "Bio Zombie" and some horror fans may be disappointed with the lack of gore and special effects. The film was obviously made on a micro-budget and the overall feel is of comedy and parody, best displayed in a scene in which the two heroes use video games for advice on how best to kill the zombies.
"Bio Zombie" is flashily directed by Wilson Yip who makes good use of the sets and photography to give the film a strange, futuristic feel. As with most small-budget horror films "Bio Zombie" is filmed economically at 94 minutes and is most likely to appeal to fans of other recent Hong Kong films rather than hard core horror fans.
"Bio Zombie" has the standard storyline for films about the undead, beginning with a shady business deal involving an incubated zombie which escapes and reeks havoc. The first half of the film takes time to introduce the various characters while the second half contains the necessary action and bloodletting.
Most of the action takes place in a shopping mall, similar to George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", and there are several horror film cliches such as the tough guy who turns out to be a coward and the friendly zombie who helps the humans. However, this is a worthy addition to the genre mainly because of the often bizarre characters and unnerving imagery, something which also typified "The Untold Story II".
There is nothing particularly scary about "Bio Zombie" and some horror fans may be disappointed with the lack of gore and special effects. The film was obviously made on a micro-budget and the overall feel is of comedy and parody, best displayed in a scene in which the two heroes use video games for advice on how best to kill the zombies.
"Bio Zombie" is flashily directed by Wilson Yip who makes good use of the sets and photography to give the film a strange, futuristic feel. As with most small-budget horror films "Bio Zombie" is filmed economically at 94 minutes and is most likely to appeal to fans of other recent Hong Kong films rather than hard core horror fans.