Planet Terror (2007) User Reviews

Fun, fast and furious homage to the old b-movie schlock movies

[joebloggscity · 7/10 · 11 November 2007]

For some reason the original double feature movie of Grindhouse combining Planet Terror with Tarantino's effort was never released in the UK! Regardless, i was still curious to watch both efforts, and the first of which I've had the chance to see is Planet Terror.

It's simply about a small town that comes under attack from a virus which when it affects the town-folk makes everyone into zombie like creatures (e.g. attacking others to infect them also, appearances become inhuman etc etc). Add into this mix a Go-Go girl, her ex-boyfriend (an expert at gunslinging), a doctor with a cheating lesbian loving wife-cum-doctor and a bunch of others and you have your pulp fiction movie.

Story wise its crazy but surprisingly its still quite fun. Dialogue isn't too bad, and is very entertaining. The film never really twists but plays along for the action as that's the main gist of the whole thing. Explosions, mass shootings, more explosions, zombie pulverising and even more shooting are the order of the day.

Most importantly this has been filmed in the style of the old b-movies, with grainy pictures and a couple of homages to old b-movie filming (including a comical starting fake preview of a film called "Machete").

Overall, I very much enjoyed it. Switch off and you'll like and enjoy it. Worthy of a good night out.

Better than Death Proof

[rogue_flight · 8/10 · 18 September 2007]

Everyone I know loves this movie, including my Girlfriend. Yes, it has it's gross-out moments, but they are all so over the top that they aren't all that disturbing. The whole movie is supposed to be grimy and cheesy so if you expect a slick Hollywood blockbuster you might be disappointed. If you are a fan of MST3K movies then check this one out. It's an amazing recreation of a movie they'd watch! I mean that as a compliment. I found Death Proof to be slightly Borning until the last 20 minutes. But, in this movie, it's almost all non-stop action! There are also some really funny cuts, dialog and special effects. This movie is not to be taken seriously. Turn down the lights, get some popcorn and enjoy the ride!

Odd comments

[paulbestall · 8/10 · 22 August 2007]

I've seen a fairly large segment of this film and don't understand either of the two negative reviews at all. I classed it as a zombie flick and as such found it a good addition to the genre. To say it is the sickest (notice the correct spelling) film ever made shows a complete lack of cinema knowledge to the extent of idiocy. Anyone who has seen any of Rodriquez's previous work will not be in the least bit surprised by anything in this film and will probably enjoy as such. If you like the Horror genre, especially Zombies, which are thankfully making a return to cinema, you will find a special place in your dark and twisted hearts for this. I have and can't wait to see it on the big screen. Makes a refreshing change from the horror pap that's come out of Hollywood in the last decade.

Planet of The Pus-drooling Zombies

[Chrysanthepop · 24 October 2009]

Robert Rodriguez is back this time with a Grindhouse movie. I have always liked his movies. Even though they are somewhat formulaic, I enjoy the action and energy and there is a certain unique South American touch to them. I also disagree that he casts women as mere sex objects. Yes, he does work with incredibly sexy women who look hot on screen but they have much more to do than to look, be and act hot.

'Planet Horror' is his tribute to the 70s exploitation films. Many of such movies have become cult hits and even though hardly anyone would admit (except when among friends) to liking them, they have a growing niche audience and actually sell well. 'Planet Horror' also has the look of a movie on bad old film reel which is pretty cool.

Needless to say, the execution is pretty solid. The wild cinematography, adrenaline filled soundtrack and healthy doze of sex, violence, gore and humour work together excellently. The cast is terrific. While there Freddy Rodriguez (as El Wrey) and Rose McGowen (as Cherry) are leading the film and kicking ass, they are supported by Marley Shelton (lesbian doctor), Michael Biehn (as a Sheriff, what a comeback!) and Jeff Fahey (as the owner of a diner searching for the best sauce ingredient, what a comeback!). They are being hunted by a bunch of pus drooling zombies that include a psycho doctor (Josh Brolin) and a lieutenant (Bruce Willis). Meanwhile Naveen Andrews (a testicle-obsessed scientist) and Stacey Ferguson (a hot lesbian) make hilarious appearances. All the parts are played well by the great cast.

Rodriguez's homage is a thrilling watch. It's funny, energetic, visceral and adventurous. Rodriguez has succeeded again in entertaining his viewers. Now, I'm going to go watch Tarantino's 'Death Proof' (which is the second Grindhouse movie).

Better than Tarantino's half...

[FilmFlaneur · 7/10 · 18 January 2008]

Rodriguez's half of the original 'grindhouse' double bill , which consisted of his TERROR PLANET with Tarantino's DEATH PROOF. Likely audience reactions led to the two titles being separated and issued apart. As a homage to the drive-in tradition and genres beloved by Tarantino et al, the two films are resolutely exploitative, but PLANET is the most overtly tongue in cheek, and the most enjoyable, being a good old shoot 'em up Zombie flic. Unlike SIN CITY which was inspired by good source work which led to it being rather self consciously 'cool', PLANET tries hard to mimic bad work that, by definition of its admirers is *unconsciously* cool. This reviewer at least found the results less pretentious, the trash origins not being made more of than they ever were - the sexist treatment of women for instance less insidious.

The illusion of viewing much watched, much loved bad 70's junk cinema is extended even to the point of deliberately introducing blemishes to the film, also plot holes, as well as a whole 'missing reel' which interrupts the continuity, with suitable management apologies, half way through the action. Interestingly these artifacts on screen have a vivid presence, counterpointing key words and moments with an abstract, but deliberate commentary of colours, flares, clicks and splices that practically qualifies them as a 'character' in their own right. One especially relishes the colour balance slide to red as Tarantino (in a self-directed sequence playing a rapist) works his menace, or the apt film flare or burn outs during the erotic moments. Some great lines (e.g. Bruce Willis' opening words "Where's the sh*t?") and over the top gore add to a fun mix.

Perhaps the only miscalulation is the length of the film; most cheap exploitation flicks struggled to reach the 80 min mark, which meant their weaknesses did not always outstay their welcome. Clocking in at almost 2 hours, PLANET TERROR forgets eventually that more of the 'bad' to the Nth degree is not always to the best, revealing the self indulgence common to some of the later works of the Rodriguez-Tarantino school, but this is a minor quibble and fans won't mind. Whether or not those unfamiliar with the original inspiration will get the joke for that long is a different matter, although an audio track which includes live audience reaction makes things easier. The DVD comes complete with a splendid fake trailer for MACHETE, a supposed Mexploitation revenge drama - which incidentally IMDb seems to think is actually slated for production next year!

Wild, bloody and deliriously entertaining: Fun with a capital "f"!

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 9 August 2007]

Because of low box office returns in the USA (total gross: 25 million $; movie's budget: 100 million), that outrageously mouth-watering experiment known as Grindhouse was split in half for the European release: first came Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, a masterful reinvention of the slasher flick, the main strength of which was focusing on characters and atmosphere rather than film references; and now comes Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez's zombie opus which has "excessive" (read: fun) written all over it.

That this is going to be a different cinematic experience is obvious before the movie's even started, as it is preceded by the RIP (Rodriguez International Pictures) logo and the fake trailer Machete (the other three are not included in the separate cut), starring Danny Trejo: a bona fide B-movie advert, so gloriously OTT the MPAA would never approve it in real life (swearing, nudity and explicit violence: not good). After that, it's straight into the action: some virus turns people into flesh-eating freaks, spreading panic all over the country. While most poor fools get eaten, a small group organizes some kind of resistance. These people include Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), a former go-go dancer, her ex-boyfriend and martial arts expert El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), a nurse (Marley Shelton) who is about to leave her husband (Josh Brolin) and a few law enforcers (Michael Parks, playing Earl McGraw for the fourth time, and Michael Biehn). Against them, aside from the zombies, is the military, who for some reason wants to keep the virus around. And as the inevitable final battle approaches, the blood keeps flowing freely.

At first sight, Planet Terror may seem like the lesser of the two Grindhouse halves, mainly because the director, unlike Tarantino who made the separate version of Death Proof longer and better-looking, hasn't modified his segment at all (aside from reinserting half an hour worth of excised material): the scratches and aging signs are still there, and the "missing reel" (a love scene between the two leads) is still missing. But that's probably because Rodriguez, in true B-movie tradition, was more concerned with the style, of which the aging stuff is an integral part. So, while it is undeniable that QT's episode is superior artistically speaking (smarter script, better dialogue, more artful direction), it is equally undeniable that RR, knowing he can't bring anything new to the genre (George Romero and 28 Days Later... have already done it), puts all his energy in the execution (pun not intended) and delivers exactly what the audience demands: from sexy start to gory finish, Planet Terror is a 105-minute long, shamelessly overblown money shot, a picture that dumps all pretensions and sets out to simply entertain.

The focus on blood and guts (and there's plenty of them), however, does not make the film a mere exercise in style, because while he may not be as skilled a writer as his partner, RR manages to deliver some memorable lines (a satirical stab at Bin Laden being the standout) and craft excessive yet immediately likable characters, all played with almost puerile joy by a terrific cast: McGowan, who was killed off immediately in Death Proof, makes up for it here by giving flesh (and what flesh) to one of the toughest babes ever to hit a screen (the image of her with a machine gun instead of her missing leg is already iconic); Freddy Rodriguez, having stolen scenes for five years in Six Feet Under, is completely at ease in the role that should make him an A-lister; Naveen Andrews, best known for playing Sayid on Lost, has the fun of a lifetime shaking off his nice guy image as a testicle-collecting (!) scientist; and finally, people like Bruce Willis and Tarantino (whose part is ten times as crazy and hilarious as his Death Proof cameo) pop up briefly to memorable effect for one simple reason: they just want to have a good time.

A good time: that is all Planet Terror has to offer, no more, no less. And those seeking sheer entertainment, albeit delivered with gusto, should be able to enjoy this riotous adventure, as long as they are able to stomach sequences so insanely violent they make Desperado or Kill Bill look like children's flicks. In other words: this is a damn good "bloodbuster".

Entertaining Grindhouse , plenty of action, horror, zombies and guts

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 22 December 2008]

At an US military base, when appear convoy led by an official(Bruce Willis), a black-market dealer named Abby(Naven Andrews) accidentally releases an experimental and highly contagious gas. Those exposed suffer a complete transformation, turning into meat-eating zombies. A stripper named Cherrie(Rose McGowan, extraordinaries scenes with a leg machine gun), her mechanic ex-lover Wray(a valiant Freddy Rodriguez),Dr. Dakota(Marley Shelton)who's fleeing her sadist husband Dr. Block (a nasty Josh Brolin), the sheriff( Michael Bhien) stay stranded into a inn called 'The Bone Shack' whose owner is an astute vet(a sympathetic Jeff Fahey) and surrounded by zombies starving of flesh human.They take on the zombies sickos, and become only survivors facing the world destruction by deadly epidemic.

This exciting film packs tension, chills, thrills, terror, sadism, tongue in check and lots of blood and gore- including stabbing,slicing,stabbing,quartering- courtesy of Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger; they create a truly creepy make-up of horrible zombies cannibals.The flesh-eating mutants appearance deliver the goods with hair raising thrills and plenty of scares and eerie murders.The astonishing killings are gruesomely executed and grisly graphic. This movie is better than Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, as contains more action and amusing, both tales form a diptych titled 'Grindhouse'. Various players repeat acting, as Marley Shelton as Dr Dakota, Michael Sacks as McGraw and the Avellan twins as the babysitters, they're nice-in law of Robert Rodriguez and wife, Elizabet Avellan(film's producer). Besides appear Tom Savini, prestigious maker-up of Romero films and Carlos Gallardo, El Mariachi's starring , both playing two deputies.The motion picture is lavishly produced by Harvey and Bob Weinstein(Dimension films), Rodriguez's usual producers. Moving musical score, special cinematography and nice direction by Robert Rodriguez. Rating : Above average, the film will like to terror fans with some humor and irony.

A deliberate guilty pleasure

[AntoNEO · 9/10 · 20 October 2007]

While Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof seems to be a much more authentic representation of 1970s grindhouse pictures, Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror is more of a loving caricature of 1980s zombie splatter films. Nothing in the film is played straight, and virtually every scene is accompanied by a wink and a grin at the audience.

If Tarantino's effort is accused of being slow (or deliberately paced, depending on your opinion), Planet Terror never even thinks about slowing down. From the exploitative opening credits through to the final frames of the film, this is a roller coaster ride of a film that doesn't let up.

With Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez continues his "everything and the kitchen sink" mentality when it comes to his film-making by throwing everything at the wall just to see what sticks. While it sometimes feels like this technique gets in the way of Rodriguez finding a true film-making voice, it works quite well for a film like Planet Terror where there's no room for subtlety.

The cast that Rodriguez assembled is a glorious ensemble of bygone action heroes, horror icons, and Rodriguez stock actors. They all bring their parts to life in a cartoonish sort of way that fits the tone of the movie beautifully.

While the uncut DVD edition of Planet Terror doesn't change the film drastically in any way, it definitely improves the film. It gives the film smoother transitions and fills in some gaps in the plot (though that missing reel is still there and will always remain there as one of the many comical winks at the audience). The large cast of characters are also given more beats here and there that help fill out their personas a little more. All in all, this uncut version simply allows the film to breathe a little more, rather than having to jump frantically from scene to scene in an effort to make the 84 minute running time.

At the end of the day, Planet Terror isn't going to win any awards, and it's certainly not meant to. It's simply an extremely enjoyable guilty pleasure of a film that virtually anyone with the stomach for it can probably have a good time with, especially if you're a horror fan. Take a couple of classic John Carpenter films like The Fog and Escape From New York and throw them into a blender with a couple of classic zombie splatter films like Evil Dead 2 and Dawn of the Dead and you've got a pretty good idea of what Planet Terror is like. And at the end of the day, you could definitely have a worse combination of films to pay loving homage to.

Unusual style

[stimpy_tr · 6/10 · 21 September 2021]

Planet Terror (2007) is one of the films in the double feature Grindhouse (2007). It is sort of a homage to grindhouse films that were once popular in America. Those were low-budget exploitation films, where the latter indicates an action with unsparing utilization of violence, gore and carnage. In this one, a gas leak causes some people to turn into zombies, hence a violent struggle emerges between zombies and humans. It is not to your taste, if you are looking for a regular plot with well-developed characters. As this is a homage to the style, there are many intentionally placed plot holes and a fake trailer at the beginning of the film. I found some of the dialogues funny, though.

"I want to eat your brains... and gain your knowledge."

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 8 March 2008]

Planet Terror, before becoming it's own movie-animal of sorts as a stand-alone feature released in most parts of the world (and on DVD), was a slightly shorter, near-perfect first part of a double-bill of the Rodriguez/Tarantino double-feature Grindhouse. Not to sound like I'm in a rocking chair rambling like it's old times (and it's not even a year since its North American release), but Grindhouse contained in it two features that just very simply, quickly tapped into that genuine spirit of B-movies out there, the art and power of sleaze and trash that might not be that when done right. And also as a treat, each film showcases, in all fetishized and stupendous glory, the skills of the respective filmmakers (this goes as well for the directors of the 'trailers' that ran between the two films). For Tarantino it's stylized long-shots, intellectual-cum-vapid dialog, and a penchant for bad-ass ladies and some sick violence.

For Rodriguez, it's what we've come to see as a sort of mix between his Mariachi films and From Dusk till Dawn: slam-bang action, truly absurd twists with the occasional shock factor (in this case the "accidental" death of a child), and raucous humor from dialog that, in its own right, is probably just as self-consciously clever as QT's. On its own, and in its extended and unrated cut form, as recently watched on DVD, Planet Terror luckily doesn't suffer as much from the added footage as Death Proof nearly did. There isn't some big block of specific scenes stuffed back in from the original cut, however the bits that are noticeable for those who are aware of the original 90 minute version- i.e. waking up at night to see the green-tinted moon, the extra bit at the police station, some extras at the hospital- don't really add much at all to the proceedings to make it any better as it is.

For what it's worth though, to those who will seek it out having not had the luck- as imposed by the what seems to be ironic monacher after the Machete trailer "Brought to you by your friends at the Weinstein Company!"- Planet Terror is a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners zombie flick, filled with enough ballsy attitude for two B-movies that deserve to get immediately dusted off and played to packed audiences of sick f***s who cant get enough of gruesome, over-the-top horror violence and tongue-in--so-deep-it's-breaking-the-cheek dialog. A simple premise is that a noxious gas is let loose by a military group, somehow in some deranged plot involved with a post Bin-Laden atmosphere, and it creates total havoc on a small Texas town over one night. And over this one night a go-go dancer, a crafty but vulnerable nurse, a Chicano who's "got the devil in im'", a BBQ maestro, and some various tag-alongs and police officers bind together to fight the combat the infectious plague.

Made with panache and visual as well as verbal wit (maybe funniest is how a sex scene is so hot it burns up the screen, literally, and when the scene comes back on the place is on fire!), Rodriguez has a nifty little classic of a comedy almost in the guise of an action film inspired by both Fulci and Carpenter (however much better than the former would ever produce). Watch it friends!

A Bit Too Silly To Be A Post Modernist Classic

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 13 June 2013]

According to word of mouth the double feature of GRINDHOUSE flopped in the United States because people walked out of the cinema not realising the concept of a double feature . Even if there is some truth in this surely if people have paid their money to watch a film it won't affect the box office as to when an audience walk out on the film ? One thinks there's an apocryphal myth at play here similar to the French audience who ran out screaming from a late 19th Paris cinema as soon as an on screen train came puffing head on towards them . Perhaps the low box office return for the GRINDHOUSE double bill was much lower than expected was that the two films were too expensively stylised to make an expected profit ? Why go to so much expense to make a couple of B movies on an A list budget when so many hacks in the 1970s were able to do it on a Z list budget ?

That said PLANET TERROR is a highly stylised film , perhaps too much so . To all intents and purposes it's very similar to those brainless films you'd get in the video store circa 1982 that you'd endlessly discuss with your schoolmates who'd no doubt think it was a great film due to the gore . Certainly PT is a gory film , inspired by the works of David Cronenberg and George A Romero but perhaps lacking in the cerebral social commentary both of those directors brought to their films . Here producer Quentin Tarantino and director Robert Rodriguez bring post modernist visuals to the movie . Unfortunately they both try a bit too hard and the visuals become something of a gimmick . For example why shoot and photograph a film that looks like late 1970s exploitation B movie when characters are seen using mobile phones that wouldn't have existed in that time period ? The more the film tries to look like exploitation 70s cinema the more distracting it becomes in its failure to convince

Another aspect that fails to work is its somewhat silly tone . A character gets their leg amputated and is replaced by firstly a table leg then later a gun . No complaints that it's rather tasteless because it is amusing to a degree but this plot point becomes more and more over used and silly the more the film continues . If I remember correctly this tongue in cheek humour also spoiled Rodriguez DESPERADO to a degree in its ambition to be a cult classic . Humour is a subjective thing and what may be amusing to a director doesn't necessarily get translated to an audience . It's not the director's fault but real life events in America in the last few months involving killing sprees with firearms makes much of the comic book violence in PT seem blatantly pornographic in hindsight

In summary this is a mildly diverting film that suffers from trying too hard to emulate the films it parodies . It's entertaining enough while you're watching it but it's not really a film you're going to be a hurry to rewatch either and you'll probably have forgotten all about it the next day

A lot of fun

[Medacakathareal · 8/10 · 28 October 2008]

Planet Terror is a homage to the trash that used to play at drive-ins back in the 70s, particularly, its a zombie film. Being a lover of zombies I was stoked when I sat down to watch it. The movie delivers everything a fan of the horror-comedy-action genre could want, over the top action, over the top gore, and at times over the top acting. We follow a few main characters, all of which are enigmatic and end up having connections that no one would have seen coming, which reminded me of the low budget films that used to come out back in the day, where the director would try to weave in so many subplots the whole thing becomes silly (and a lot of fun)...

The movie is heavy on gore and there's a ton of beautiful women, therefore its a visually pleasing film to watch, especially with the premature aging effect they use to make the movie seem old.

Another factor I was excited about was Micheal Biehn, I haven't seen him in an action oriented roll in a while and it was good to see him back in action (whatever happened to him anyway?). The plot is fairly simple, a zombie outbreak in which the survivors are the cure for the zombie infection and have to survive.

Its a really fun movie, and is the better half of Grindhouse (Death Proof seemed like a very ODD chick flick). I recommend it highly to anyone who likes zombies...

"Fire up the Killdozer!"

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 7 November 2010]

Replicating not only the look and sound but also--and most importantly--the ambiance of the double-feature specialties of the drive-in movie theaters in the 1970s, filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino took a gamble with their bloated co-effort, "Grindhouse"--the first half a messy splatter flick ("Planet Terror", which unspools in the manner of George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead) and the second a psycho action-thriller ("Death Proof", which draws upon a number of inspirations, from "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" to "Satan's Cheerleaders"). Neither film (augmented with 'worn' reels and sloppy jump cuts, plus actors and characters who appear in both episodes) is particularly good plot-wise; however, both movies are incredible solely as visceral experiences, offering a lot of fun for select audiences. In "Planet Terror" (originally entitled "Project Terror", which made more sense), mass quantities of a deadly biochemical gas are released into the air, turning citizens into marauding zombies; an unlikely band of survivors fights back, led by a cocky-cool modern-day gunfighter and his stripper-girlfriend, who turns the horrible loss of her right leg to everyone's advantage. There's much to enjoy here visually, yet the plot-mechanics and characters fail to emerge due to Rodriguez's garbled script, which is quite funny intentionally on occasion but is more often than not just plain dumb. **1/2 from ****

Trashy Tribute

[kenjha · 1/10 · 3 July 2008]

This is supposed to be either a tribute or a spoof of grindhouse films of yesteryear. Since there is hardly any humor in it, it must be a tribute. What is the point of paying tribute to bad, low-budget movies by making one that is as bad and as cheap-looking as any in the genre? The plot is a rehash of films like "Dawn of the Dead," where zombies are walking around eating people. This one does nothing to reinvent the genre. The film is just an excuse to film a lot of disgusting, gory violence, which is not entertainment. The only positive is that there are some hot-looking women, including McGowan, who looks fine whether sporting one leg or two.

shut up!

[sugarmesweet427 · 11 October 2009]

Everyone who thinks Grindhouse was a mindless piece of cinema and completely useless needs to shut up.

And as for telling people who like this movie to get a real brain, get off your high horse.

These movies were supposed to trashy and gory and cheesy, that's what makes them so great. Being immature and ridiculous everyone once and a while just for the hell of it is fun, and that's the spirit these movies were made in.

get the sticks out of your you know where people. It's not like I'm putting them on a pedestal with movies like Schindler's List, I enjoy them for the pure enjoyment of it.

these movies are brilliant for what they were made for. It's not like

Brilliant

[grenmonkey · 7/10 · 13 October 2009]

Planet Terror (2007) is a brilliant film; it shamelessly takes all the things we love from cheesy 80's action, zombie and horror films and crushes it all to one solid package that is both funny and thrilling. Bad "one-liners", lots of shooting, gore related jokes, cheesy "ominous soundtrack" and all the other bits and pieces that make you smile are there to be found in this film. This is Robert Rodriguez at his best.

A bio-weapon gets released and turns people into zombies – a mixed bunch of small town survivors have to make their way to more safer grounds. Among the survivors are Wray (Freddy Rodríguez), go-go dancer Cherry (Rose McGowan) and Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) who all fit perfectly into the bizarre setting as the stereotypes they are, the casting throughoutly is just right.

The film looks good and is fun to watch; the deliberate improper cuts, sound distortions and visual filters all add up to the unorthodox movie experience. The jokes are plentiful, the action is well shot, the story takes some unexpected turns and the ensemble cast is good – the film's really entertaining. It's not perfect though: the pacing is off at times and Robert has taken the "easy way" a bit too often with the script (there was room for more subtle jokes among the more obvious ones) but still the film's fun to sit through. The Machete -trailer that starts the presentation is the icing on the cake. 3/4

The better half of Grindhouse

[Dragoneyed363 · 10/10 · 28 March 2008]

WARNING: I advise anyone who has not seen the film yet to not read this comment.

I must tell all, that in my honest opinion, Planet Terror is one astonishingly magnificent masterpiece. It was wonderfully exciting and filled with great action parts, hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor, and non-stop entertainment. Next to it's sibling, Death Proof, there's no doubt that Planet Terror is the better of the two. Death Proof was great, don't get me wrong, but as for Planet Terror, it was flawless.

There's just more exciting, fun, and catchy scenes and lines in Planet Terror than Death Proof, like when Cherry gets a table leg as a leg to walk on and is stumbling out of the hospital, and later in the car uses the line, "It's splintering", and when she gets her machine gun leg and blasts her way through endless zombies with kick-ass maneuvers. They even manage to bring out a bit of sorrow when Cherry's lover Ray dies, which is hard to find in a movie of this genre. Regardless of which flick you think is better, if you have seen both features of Grindhouse, you must admit that Planet Terror had better action than Death Proof and that the performances were so just a bit more enjoyable, at least, I certainly thought so.

In my honest opinion, this feature is a wonderful movie that could attract just as more attention off by itself than if it was shown in theaters next to Death Proof, which, it was. Planet Terror was spectacular, and I tell this to everyone, if you aren't into great scenes of gore, non-stop action and suspense, and horror/comedy dialogue, you just don't know what you are missing out on if you don't love Planet Terror, especially if you didn't find yourself laughing or being mesmerized at any scene in said film.

Not great, but better than Death Proof.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 6 November 2007]

After a strange gas—a biological weapon developed by the military—is deliberately released into the atmosphere, a group of survivors must do battle with hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, whilst also trying to stop the bad guys responsible for the epidemic.

Planet Terror is Robert Rodriguez's half of the faux exploitation double-bill originally released in the States (along with Quentin Tarantion's Death Proof and some 'fake' trailers) as Grindhouse. After the ambitious project tanked at the box office, the movies were split, padded to feature length, and released separately worldwide. Whilst neither film is a particularly good example of either directors' work, at least Planet Terror isn't the major disappointment that QT's dull yakathon proved to be.

Rodriguez begins his paean to the mindlessly violent drive-in flicks of yesteryear with a fun trailer for a trashy thriller entitled 'Machete', which, packed with OTT action, looks extremely impressive and certainly whets the appetite for the 'main feature'. Unfortunately, whilst Planet Terror doesn't disappoint with its constant inventiveness and awe-inspiring cinematic eye-candy, it is let down by some rather poor performances and a very weak and disjointed storyline which is merely there to connect the series of random (but admittedly) cool ideas and outrageous characters. Although a lot of low-budget exploitation from the 70s and 80s opted for gratuitous sex and violence instead of a tightly crafted plot, the good ones (and there are plenty out there if you look hard enough) delivered both. I can't help but feel that this fact was overlooked by Rodriguez in his rush to make his crazy ideas a reality.

Another gripe I have with Planet Terror is that, although it is now no longer part of the 'Grindhouse' experience, it still keeps its 'distressed' appearance. All of the scratchy film stock FX in the world cannot hide the fact that this is a contemporary movie, packed with state of the art digital trickery, and cutting edge directorial and editing techniques. The effect never really rings true and I wish it had been ditched.

What Rodriguez does do right, however, is pack his film with mighty fine women and loads of quality gore. It's hard to completely dismiss a film which features a) RoseMcGowan as a very sexy stripper, b) Marley Shelton as a very sexy nurse, c) Stacy Ferguson as a very sexy person who is only there to become a very sexy victim, and d) outstanding work by make-up wizards Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, who whip up some truly incredible splatter, including several juicy exploding heads and a great scene in which Tom Savini is ripped apart (the prosthetic work is helped somewhat by CGI, but the results are very impressive).

Unfortunately, silly old Robert lets pal Quentin get his big chin in front of the camera (always a mistake), and gives way to nepotism, casting his talentless nieces as a pair of annoying babysitters. He also throws in a couple of characters that stand out as being just plain weird: Naveen Andrews plays a character who inexplicably collects testicles(!); and Jeff Fahey is J.T. Hague, a man who spends the entire movie trying to perfect a barbecue sauce (!!). However, he does redeem himself slightly by including an excellent scene in which a mother gives her young son a gun, in order to protect himself, only to have the dumb kid immediately shoot himself in the head.

Planet Terror gets a reasonable 6.5 out of 10 from me, although I'm not convinced by it enough to be willing to round my rating up to 7 for IMDb. So it gets a 6.

Sin City meats Braindead - Hilarious

[sqeaston9 · 9/10 · 13 March 2008]

For me this is the best Comedy/Horror since Peter Jackson's Braindead, just pushing Shaun of the Dead into third place. It's unashamedly silly and over the top from start to finish, with a good cast, funny lines, gore and action.

If you're going to have a ludicrous premise, why not go the whole way? Movies like 'Snakes on a plane' and '28 Weeks Later' would have been much better had their directors/writers understood this.

I found this hilarious and excellent entertainment. Particularly recommended to fans of splatter-comedy-horror. And if you liked this, make sure you see Braindead.

9/10

The Best Film of 2007, Hands Down

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 12 October 2007]

Terrorists and the military square off in a small town for a chemical that chemically alters humanity into... something awful. A chemical somehow connected to Osama bin Laden. Getting caught up in this are the local police, a wrecker, a go-go dancer turned comedienne and a local cook with a very special barbecue recipe. Oh my, what will become of them?

In the theater, this film was the first half of "Grindhouse", and by far the more action-packed one ("Death Proof" being the other half). And there's a drastic difference -- "Death Proof" has the dialogue and the superior music, but "Planet Terror" has the action, the blood, the humor and the pure campiness people were coming to see.

The cast makes this film. Freddy Rodríguez (who is like a handsome John Leguizamo) plays the lead -- El Wray, a man with a secret past (geniusly removed from the plot by a "missing reel"). His right-hand woman (or, more accurately, his right-legged woman) is Rose McGowan playing Cherry Darling. While McGowan was alright in "Death Proof", she shines here -- more action, a better, sexier appearance. She is awesome with her stunt leg (first a wooden peg and later a machine gun). I understand this was edited in later with computers, but it looks good and she was crucial to everything lining up right.

Marley Shelton is Dr. Dakota Block, who also appears in "Death Proof" (as do the Parks father-son team as the McGraw cops we've seen before in "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "Kill Bill"). Her husband is the deranged Dr. Willam Block (played by Josh Brolin, who has a very Kurt Russellesque look here). Doc Block was a great addition to the story - -a subplot that didn't need to even be here but added something important... I can't put my finger on it.

Naveen Andrews (probably best known from TV's "Lost") is Abby, and English terrorist obsessed with collecting enemies' testicles. This has to be one of the strangest parts of the film, but it's really funny and not at all nonsense like it would be in any other film. Horror veteran Tom Savini plays Deputy Tolo. He was great, of course.

Electra and Elise Avellan were the babysitter twins. When they first showed up, I thought they were stupid characters, but they provide more necessary comic relief and can be vicious if provoked. Speaking of vicious, Quentin Tarantino plays "The Rapist", but sadly isn't all that impressive. He isn't really given the chance to indulge in his style of rambling that makes him lovable. His scene -- unnecessary.

Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson is here. Horror icon Jeff Fahey is here (and soon to be joining Naveen Andrews on "Lost"). Did I mention Bruce Willis is here playing Lt. Muldoon? Because he is. And he has one of the best lines in the movie, simply on how he delivers it (with a pause that would make William Shatner jealous).

Watch "Death Proof" if you want strong dialog and a throwback to crappy car chase movies of the 1970s. If you want action, sexuality (McGowan's hottest role since "Doom Generation"?) and more blood than I've ever seen in one movie in my life -- trucks and even helicopters plowing through bodies like a hot knife through a foreskin during a bris. I sincerely believe this is the best film of 2007 and I stand firm on that. After watching over 300 films this year, I don't need November or December to know what I'm talking about. Catch this one like Ash on a Pokemon.

A brilliant masterpiece

[alexrigden · 9/10 · 3 January 2009]

Normally I never really leave user comments however in the case of this movie I feel compelled to write a small review, so here goes...

From the first viewing of planet terror I can safely say that I didn't really get it, I found it OK and I knew enough not to take it too seriously but it still didn't seem to really convey itself as a movie worth watching again.

Now, with some relish, I can say that I was wrong. After a second viewing a week ago I found the movie an infinite amount better. It's full of entertaining slices of comic brilliance as well as vast amounts of action, thrills and spills to keep you glued to the screen.

It is well worth noting that this film was never meant to be accurate or realistic in any sense, and if you bear that in mind from the start then you'll love this movie as much as I do.

Whilst it will not win any Oscars anytime soon, it is well worth seeing if you just want to have a fun and enjoyable movie experience. The director Robert Rodriguez does not take this movie seriously and if you really want to savour this gem of a film then neither should you.

This movie just gave me a Fuc* look !

[moimoichan6 · 7/10 · 24 August 2007]

"Where is the thing ?", asks Bruce Willis to a lost Saïd. But it's way too late : the thing is everywhere and slowly turns every inhabitants of a small Texas town into zombiesque creatures. Everyone ? No : a dozen of people seems to escape the contamination, and they might be the last hope to save the earth. Just give them guns, and let them shoot every motherf***er Zombies.

"Planet Terror" is a crazy/serious pastiche and a beautiful homage to the Grinhouse Z-movies, with it's stupid situations, stereotype characters, out of the blues dialogs, extremely gore and fun action scenes, and beautiful woman with gun-legs. It's a little bit like "From dusk 'till Dawn", only in better.

Extremely funny and fun, the movie also manages to be a sincere homage to the genre as well as an experimental movie, that beats the Tarantino's one in its own field (the "mising reel" is a real post-modern sabotage of the movie, like the scratches on the film, that gives "Planet Terror" a magnificent vintage look). But there's no need for a fight between the two movies here : "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" are like brother movies, that were thought together, and were meant to be seen together in the double feature "Grinhouse" Project. QT works on the script of "Planet Terror", and I'm sure lots of the great ideas of the movie came from him. And the difference is here : with "Grindhouse", Tarantino made its worst movie, whereas Rodriguez made its best one ! That means that in the end, "Planet Terror" is an excellent movie, and that "Grindhouse" was a hell of an experience.

More entertaining than terrorizing

[Quebec_Dragon · 8/10 · 10 January 2010]

This was the first film in a double-feature homage to exploitation films of the seventies called Grindhouse. The second was Death Proof by Tarantino. Planet Terror was a much superior film in every aspect for me. It's jam-packed with well-done action and pyrotechnics. It's really fun and funny. It has great memorable characters. Yes it's a b-movie but it's one made with love and respect. Gross-out moments abound but beyond being disgusting and gory (which they are very much), they're usually quite amusing. It's an interesting paradox.

There are several small ingenious touches that make you feel as if you're really watching an old cheaply made movie in a cheap theater such as the scratchy and/or distorted pictures, the fake trailers and the public service announcements. There are a few uncredited cameos from famous people playing roles that will delight you. The acting overall is just in the right tone and spirit. The music, and especially the main theme, are perfect. Planet Terror despite its grandiose title is not a sci-fi flick, it's a zombie horror film taking place in a small southern us region. It's both inventive and a throw-back. It's likely you'll have a great time watching it provided you're not squeamish. Bravo for this successful experiment, at least for director Rodriguez's part.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Fantastic Trash

[Superunknovvn · 7/10 · 27 October 2007]

If the real Grindhouse movies had kept what they promised on movie posters and in previews they would all have been as fantastically entertaining as "Planet Terror". Of course, Rodriguez movie had a much higher budget to work with than the B- and C-flicks from the 70's and you can see it. The make-up is hilariously over the top, but it still looks great, zombies are getting massacred left and right, things explode every two seconds - it's obvious that this is a big budget movie made to look like trash. Even the story doesn't seem as trashy as we're supposed to think it is, because you can see how much thought actually went into it. Supposedly it's also meant to be a tribute to John Carpenter's movies, which I can't understand at all. Carpenter's work was never as trashy as "Planet Terror" is (well, excluding maybe "Escape From L.A.") and it has a completely different feel to it.

Still, all of this doesn't take away from the fun of "Planet Terror". The "Grindhouse"-feeling is just there to help us forget that we're not watching this to stimulate our intellect, but to have a jolly good time. And a jolly good time we have.

The movie is filled with great one-liners and cool characters in true Tarantino/Rodriguez fashion. If there is one flaw, it's that there are too many characters and that, even though that is intentional, they're all just a bit too one-dimensional, leaving us with almost nothing to identify with. That keeps the whole movie strangely shallow. Fun but shallow.

At the end of the day "Planet Terror" is the more entertaining out of the two "Grindhouse" films and it's also Robert Rodriguez' best movie so far. I can see why the two movies together flopped, though. Although I enjoyed them both individually I don't think I would have liked to see "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" in one sitting.

I get it, I just didn't like it.

[[e-mail] · 1/10 · 10 March 2008]

The idea was to make a cool, fun, artsy homage to the grind house horror films of the 70s. I get it. It fails.

The film is not funny, not scary, not exciting, and not particularly cool. The plot is standard zombie-movie. Nothing new or interesting here. Despite an impressive list of actors, the characters are not particularly interesting (Jeff Fahey's "J.T." being the lone exception).

The violence is exaggerated and laughably cartoonish, but, since it is not funny or enjoyable, we have to questions the point. Of course, we should already know by now that Robert Rodriguez will be bursting plenty of ketchup packets. However, the gore (of which there is plenty) is neither disturbing nor enjoyable.

Which brings us to the leg. Rodriguez must have really thought he had quite a gimmick here. He must have been trying to homage "over-the top" by going over "over-the-top". Once again, I get it; it just doesn't work.

The ending is unsatisfying. I guess that is to be expected...maybe even true to the genre...

...this one is a waste of your time. Watch "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) instead.