In “Planet Terror,” director Robert Rodriguez pays homage to the “B” horror flicks of the ’70s filled with gore, sex, violence and enough stars to make fanboys and casual admirers take notice and give the film the proper credit it deserves.
Bio-chemical engineer Abby (Naveen Andrews) double crosses Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis, in an uncredited cameo), a special ops leader, in the sale of a mysterious bio-weapon that turns those who come in contact with it into blood-thirsty zombies. The survivors serve as experiments in finding the antidote.
When the bio-weapon is let loose on a small Texas town, those who survive have to fight off the undead. Mysterious super-fighter El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) and his go-go dancer girlfriend Cherry Darling (Rose McGowen) lead the fight of survival.
There is a sort of tongue-in-cheek attitude to this film, and Rodriguez wants to make sure that it’s not to be taken too seriously, which is the magic of his flicks.
A lot of movies that are put out today are what producers, writers and directors think we want to see. But Rodriguez makes films that he wants to see, because like us, he’s a fan too. And he makes his own films; very few filmmakers have complete control over their work.
One thing that’s undeniable about Rodriguez is that he has a flair, a certain panache for visuals. Since his breakout hit “Desperado” in 1995, through the kiddie flick trilogy “Spy Kids” in the early 2000s and into the stylistic tour de force “Sin City” in 2005, he’s always exercised a meticulous attention to detail; presenting a visually appealing movie while still delivering on substance.
As part of that tribute to the classic “grindhouse” horror flicks, his heroes and villains are very distinct. He’s got the badass sexy girls, always looking completely glamorous even in the most perilous situations.
Cherry still pulls off her go-go dancer moves, despite losing a leg and having it replaced with an assault rifle.
The heroes are tough as nails. El Wray fights his way through an overrun hospital with nothing more than a pair of butterfly knifes and his hand-to-hand training. And the villains are so delectably evil, you love to hate them. Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin) and Muldoon (both sporting the demonic goatee) are the classic examples of evil, always keeping their cool.
If I were to pick two leads for this flick, it would be F. Rodriguez (“Bobby”) and Marley Shelton (“Sin City”) as Dr. Dakota Block, who is on the run from her now zombified husband. They each helm their respective subplots with such immense talent that they could almost be seen as character studies instead of a flashy horror flick.
But as with any zombie/survival movie, it’s more about the ensemble than it is about the supposed leader of the group.
“Planet Terror” gives R. Rodriguez a chance to show off one of his other filmmaking talents — assembling a perfect cast. You get great performances from everyone involved in this film because of how well they all fit into the movie, like pieces of a puzzle. Everyone is top notch.
While it’s nowhere near a great, classic movie that will be a landmark in cinema, it’s still an enjoyable experience highlighted by stunning visuals, fantastic performances and a delightfully intriguing script.
