Enter…Zombie King DVD Review
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this. I’m not a fan of wrestling, or more appropriately Lucha libre, so I really didn’t think that I would enjoy this movie at all, zombies or not. But I must admit, I really enjoyed watching this. Enter…Zombie King (2003, aka Zombie King and the Legion of Doom, Zombie Beach Party) did a good job of keeping my attention through the whole film, even during just a hand-full of slower scenes. A mix of way over the top acting, raunchy surf punk music (mostly by the Tijuana Bibles), zombie wrestling, weird Jack Kirby inspired art, and a high priest who looked like the bastard child of Gary Glitter and Ming the Merciless, made watching this really fun. It really comes across that the filmmakers had a great time making this film.
The film centers around a small group of Lucha libre wrestlers, led by the mighty Ulysses (they also moonlight as agents for the government), and their attempt to bring down the dastardly Zombie King, an ex-wrestler, who has now begun building an army of the undead to gain world domination. There are great characters in this film, with names like Murdelizer, the French Vixen and Tiki the Loner (who believes he has found a way to “domesticate” zombies), who fill the screen with crazy action and colorful Lucha libra masks. While the FX in this film can be a little on the weak side, but is completely made up for by the insane action; including kicking off zombie’s heads and ripping out their throats with nothing but their bare hands! Basically, this is the age old tale of good vs evil, with a classic set-up (poisoning the cities water supply with zombie blood!), and is camp at it’s best. Throw in a pretty funny Keystone Cops-esque chase scene through an amusement park, a small part by pro-wrestling legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart (as the local sheriff), and a beach luau with zombies, how can you really go wrong? This might sound like a mashed-up pile of obscure references and the much abused freedom of indie filmmakers, but it pulls it off this time. I would recommend checking this out, especially with a group of friends. It’s like a living comic book. I had a good time.
P.S. This is not an animated film, as IMDb.com says it is. They lie!
