Theo Robertson
It's interesting how influential Danny Boyle's 28 DAYS LATER was . It wasn't apparent at the time but from that point onwards each and every zombie film must feature zombies , sorry "infected" who can outrun Usain Bolt while having the endurance of a marathon runner . It's also noticeable how many zombie films there are with a massive number of short films and films on The Horror Channel featuring zombie apocalypse . Perhaps most notciable of all is how poor most of them are . and with hindsight Boyle's film was much better than I thought it was on first viewing . This inspiration called DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND is better than most of its peers but that's probably down to a simple reason it's a conscious rip off from Boyle's original In its favour and considering its cast it'd be a very easy route to take and treat as a Lads Mags horror comedy with lots of nudge nudge wink wink humour testing the patience of its prospective audience . One thing I did like was the dead pan serious tone and while it's hardly big budgeted it does its utmost best to paint a convincing infected outbreak that took place unseen in 28 DAYS LATER . One of the rejected plots for 28 WEEKS LATER was having a SAS platoon rescuing the Prime Minister from the infected outbreak and once you're aware of this rejected screenplay you're able to see how this scenario would have played out on screen . Replace the PM with someone who has a possible immunity to the infection and replace the SAS platoon a more diverse group and you're left thinking that Boyle and Garland got it riht with the version of 28 WEEKS LATER that did make it to the cinemas . Not to be too hard DEBVIL'S PLAYGROUND it's much more enjoyable than I expected it to be and has been one of the better films The Horror Channel has shown recently
Kenny_Tha_Killa
After watching some inadequate horror movies over the past couple of days, this was exactly what I needed - a gory, bloody zombie flick with all the trimmings. Devil's Playground takes place in London where a pharmaceutical company announces that they have stumbled across a new wonder drug that they describe as a legal "performance enhancer" (super steroids) which actually (to the embarrassment of the drug company) turns out to be a poisonous cocktail that kicks off a zombie outbreak which quickly sweeps through the UK.We follow a group of people as they try to survive by finding an area somewhere in London that is zombie-free. Now, there's a plot twist that's pretty much a blatant ripoff of 28 Weeks Later, but I chose to look past it because the character development was adequate and the storyline bumped along at an even pace.Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the zombies. Devil's playground follows in the new tradition of showcasing athletic zombies that have the same speed and the same appetite as Mike Tyson. Yes, the zombies you know and love from the Dawn Of The Dead remake and 28 Days & Weeks Later are back to hunt people down like a pack of bloodthirsty dobermans that haven't been fed for weeks.The movie doesn't quite live up to the standards of Dawn Of The Dead and 28 Days & Weeks Later, but it's well worth the time if you're in the mood for a zombie flick and haven't filled your blood and gore quota for the month. Two thumbs up, horror fans.
Kevin Haddow
Oh dear oh dear. Yet another low budget zombie type movie that fails to hit any kind of spot.Danny Dyer can be likable enough in some films, but he always plays the same part, no matter what the movie, and in this that trend continues. Unfortunately his limited talent and acting abilities shine through here more than in many of his other films. In fact, the only person who is more wooden and a worse actor is Craig Farbrass, a very poor man's Jason Statham. The director and screenwriter have nicked bits from other films, most noticeably 28 Days Later with fast moving and agile baddies. But this film has none of the style or substance of 28 Days Later. None of the characters are in any way likable, in the end you just do not care one iota if everyone dies, in fact, you end up wishing they would all be killed just so the dross can end.If you want to see how good a low budget Zombie type horror can be, rent the French film La Horde instead.
kosmasp
It's not a bad thing to steal from successful franchises. Resident Evil the Game (and the movies of course) got their idea from a few movies themselves. But the problem is, you have to have something endearing or something that the viewer will want to see. And it does not count if you check a list. Those things really have to be in the movie, instead of just putting them in there.The main actors, I've seen him this year in "Dead Cert" too, has not enough of screen presence to hold the movie. Danny Dyer does his "schtick" (I'm starting to understand why some people do dislike him, though I wouldn't go that far ... it's a shame though, that he seems to just do it for the money ... it looks and feels like it certainly). Overall not a bad movie, but also not really good. Can be enjoyed with some mates ...
AD
