Written and directed by Jeremy Gardener, The Battery is a 2012 zombie holocaust film that follows the whole buddy cop like formula. It's said that Gardener had a very small budget to work with on this film and it definitely shows. However, I will admit that he managed to work very well with his characters creating a believable drama. The movie is all about the characters and mildly works with its atmosphere, and due to this and its limited budget the zombie action takes a gigantic backseat. Some people seem to be perfectly fine with this for whatever reasons.
I found the characters to be likable and this will always be a plus for me in these type of movies. Ben is more of a realist, and due to a past situation he seems to be perfectly fine with being a wanderer and has adjusted to his new surroundings. Mickey chooses to lose himself by constantly getting lost in his earphones to music. It's pretty interesting on how this plays out due to their constant and at times entertaining dialog. This film feels a lot less like a zombie holocaust and more of these two simply trying to live in this new nightmarish world; as they cling on to the one thing they both loved which is baseball. The two would frequently play catch and would even have drinks. People whom would claim this behavior to be unrealistic are simply too use to the usual zombie cliché characters. Escapism is one of the primary stress relievers, and these two are in a highly stressful situation.
While the characters remain interesting, Gardener clearly shows that he has very little to work with as many scenes between the two are simply too long, and he goes back to making a point that was already made a dozen times over, and seriously let's be real people; we as zombie and horror fans watch these movies for the overall zombie carnage, and this movie simply doesn't deliver there at all. Either kills are off screen or they're too simply pulled off. There is no pay off whatsoever during a zombie encounter and for me this is an issue and always will be. The soundtrack had its place in terms of character development, but I couldn't shake that this movie felt like a promotion for new artist, and that's how in your face the music tends to be. It was quite annoying at times for me.
At the end of the day I commend Gardener for attempting something I would say to be unique and different, but this movie really doesn't deserve all the glowing praise it gets, and at least I don't think it's the best of this type and low budget just isn't a good defense for a movie like this. It took some talent for sure, yet at the same time if you don't have the money for a movie. I think it's best not to always try and make one. For those whom believe this type of zombie film to be the best thing since pants with pockets. I highly suggest watching the Ford Brothers 2010 zombie apocalypse film, The Dead. It focuses heavily on its characters as well, handles its setting much better, there's better atmosphere, serious in tone, no over the top zombies with special powers, and above all else, it has some incredible zombie action. Quite frankly, I believe it blows this away. Give this movie a shot anyway if it sounds like it can be your thing.
I found the characters to be likable and this will always be a plus for me in these type of movies. Ben is more of a realist, and due to a past situation he seems to be perfectly fine with being a wanderer and has adjusted to his new surroundings. Mickey chooses to lose himself by constantly getting lost in his earphones to music. It's pretty interesting on how this plays out due to their constant and at times entertaining dialog. This film feels a lot less like a zombie holocaust and more of these two simply trying to live in this new nightmarish world; as they cling on to the one thing they both loved which is baseball. The two would frequently play catch and would even have drinks. People whom would claim this behavior to be unrealistic are simply too use to the usual zombie cliché characters. Escapism is one of the primary stress relievers, and these two are in a highly stressful situation.
While the characters remain interesting, Gardener clearly shows that he has very little to work with as many scenes between the two are simply too long, and he goes back to making a point that was already made a dozen times over, and seriously let's be real people; we as zombie and horror fans watch these movies for the overall zombie carnage, and this movie simply doesn't deliver there at all. Either kills are off screen or they're too simply pulled off. There is no pay off whatsoever during a zombie encounter and for me this is an issue and always will be. The soundtrack had its place in terms of character development, but I couldn't shake that this movie felt like a promotion for new artist, and that's how in your face the music tends to be. It was quite annoying at times for me.
At the end of the day I commend Gardener for attempting something I would say to be unique and different, but this movie really doesn't deserve all the glowing praise it gets, and at least I don't think it's the best of this type and low budget just isn't a good defense for a movie like this. It took some talent for sure, yet at the same time if you don't have the money for a movie. I think it's best not to always try and make one. For those whom believe this type of zombie film to be the best thing since pants with pockets. I highly suggest watching the Ford Brothers 2010 zombie apocalypse film, The Dead. It focuses heavily on its characters as well, handles its setting much better, there's better atmosphere, serious in tone, no over the top zombies with special powers, and above all else, it has some incredible zombie action. Quite frankly, I believe it blows this away. Give this movie a shot anyway if it sounds like it can be your thing.