Tomatometer Percentage: 82% The fourth in a series of Spanish horror films that arguably should have lost its lustre by now, 4: Apocalypse sets about glossing over the events of the third entry, Genesis, which ultimately ditched the found footage aesthetic from the first two. The film concentrates on bringing back its heroine from the the initial entries into the saga, Manuela Velasco's Angela Vidal - last glimpsed when a parasitic worm departed one dead zombie and climbed into her body. Waking up on a laboratory-slash-ship on the high seas, the zombie virus of previous instalments obviously makes a comeback, and the vessel is soon made into a bloodbath. Velasco emerges as a real action movie heroine, with a distinctly Ellen Ripley vibe throughout. The choppy handheld camerawork and kinetic editing won't be for everyone, but Jaume Balagueró's (co-director of parts 1 and 2) direction definitely makes for a visceral experience. He tones down the slapstick-y nature of Genesis' violence whilst retaining, or even adding to, the gore factor. Whilst the film is supposedly the 'final chapter' in the series, there's enough here to warrant a potential fifth entry into the canon, be that story-wise or just based on audience desire for more from the world of . If they're showing no signs of slowing down such as here, I don't see why we shouldn't.
Cinephile since 1993, aged 4, when he saw his very first film in the cinema - Jurassic Park - which is also evidence of damn fine parenting. World champion at Six Degrees of Separation. Lender of DVDs to cheap mates. Connoisseur of Marvel Comics and its Cinematic Universe.
