TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL

The horror comedy Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil is a great showcase of how much a small twist in formula can alter a movie. At first glance it would seem to follow the Dead Teenager Movie formula to a 'T.' A group of sexy, ethnically diverse teens go camping in the Appalachian mountains. They stop at a gas station (it's even called "Last Chance Gass") where a clerk tells them not to go on and a creepy hillbilly stares at them. When the get to the camp they find out that there was a massacre on that very spot "20 years ago today!" Then, off course, they go skinny dipping. During which, it appears that a member of their group, Allison (Katrina Bowden) is kidnaped by the hillbillies.

If you think you know what's about to go down, then director/ co-writer Eli Craig has a surprise for you. Those creepy hillbillies, Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine), are not murderous creeps but a couple of really nice guys who are themselves on vacation at a near by cabin. They didn't kidnap Allison, they rescued her after she bumped her head. But the remainder of the college kids have seen too many horror movies to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This basic confusion sets the tone for the entire film. The kids try and rescue their friend and, one by one, manage to accidentally kill themselves in the process, which only serves to further cement the misunderstanding. Tucker and Dale think the kids are enacting a bizarre suicide pact, which is a pretty good explanation considering the circumstances.

Tucker & Dale didn't make a lot of money when it came out last September, but I wouldn't be surprised if it became a cult staple. It's premise is simple yet ingenious, but the film doesn't bet the farm on it's reversal. Craig focuses very squarely on the warm friendship between the two main characters.

The film is well cast. Tudyks comic timing is well known to fans of Dodgeball and Firefly. I've never noticed Tyler Labine before, though Wikipedia leads me to belive he's had a some cult success. I can see why, he brings a great deal of charm to what is essentially the lead role. Bowdon, mostly known for the airhead Cirri on 30 Rock, is quite nice here too.

A major subplot deals with Dales inabillity to talk to girls. When Allison drops into his life, he assumes that she'll reject him like all the others. But as she recovers at the cabin, they form a friendship that has sparks of something more. He had assumed that he wasn't good enough for him. A sentiment her friends would likely share even if they didn't think he was a murderer. A sentiment that lead them to assume that he was a murderer. It's a good metaphor, but it's the warmth with which it's executed that keeps the film going when the joke would normally be wearing off.

Grade: B+

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil is currently streaming on Netflix Instant.