Zombiepura (2018) User Reviews

Not Jack Neo Bad, Not Good Either

[celestine1307 · 5/10 · 22 October 2018]

After years of un-relentlessly bad, throwaway comedies from "Singapore's very own Michael Bay", Jack Neo and especially his propaganda filled, offensive and severely degrading series of turds about life as a Singaporean soldier, we finally got a comedy that takes the Singaporean soldier life into more varied territories. Albeit, still following the comedic route.

From its title alone one can figure out that "Zombiepura" is more than just a comedy that takes place in the confinements of an army base and centered on a group of soldiers. It decides to spice things up by bringing the undead into the mix. It is an ingenious idea. There has been a recent rise of comedies in the zombie genre with many of them relying on the absurdity of the ideal of the walking dead and spoofing it with great effect. From, Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" to Ruben Fleischer's "Zombieland", the zombie comedy genre works, for the most part. Of course, that's not to say that there isn't any serious zombie entertainment, just look at the melodramatic, never ending "Walking Dead" series.

Placing the undead into a Singaporean context is a refreshing move. Being a densely populated country, zombies would really mess us up easy. That is what I didn't get. Why was it only limited to an army camp? It's called Zombiepura not Zombietekong. Oh well, must be budget issues. When I heard about the fact that the film is taking place in an army camp, a wave of preconceived disdain and disgust from the aforementioned, "Ah Boys to Men" films swept over me. I couldn't help but go in thinking, oh no it's going to be another comedy diarrhea that makes our army looks worse than it actually is. Thank god, it isn't as bad as I thought and it even managed to surprise the heck out of me.

Don't get me wrong "Zombiepura" has made the same pitfalls as the revolting Jack Neo comedies. The characters are not real but caricatures of society. There is that forced empathy that director-writer, Jacen Tan, wants us to exude for them. There is even a babe character resemblance of a Michael Bay female lead that is only there for eye candy. Seriously though, that's how unprogressive a country like Singapore is. The comedy is low bro type of humor that is made by Singaporeans, meant for Singaporeans and appeases the general public that could stand the Jack Neo movies. The plot is generically trashy and the tone just changes during plot points.

But hey, I have to admit unlike other Singaporean films, I had fun with the escapism elements in "Zombiepura". This is due to the fact, I could tell Jacen's love for movies and zombies. He has placed subtle hints and homages to other, albeit significantly greater zombie movies out there. The film fan in me rejoices and appreciates them. There's also a self-awareness to the movie which I enjoyed greatly. It knows it is stupid. It knows it is satirical. Well, at least I hope. Some of the comedy works for me providing a few good chuckles but that's among trudging through the lacklustre bits. The zombie parts of the film were also quite decently crafted. Although, I feel the PG13 rating is a cheap out, Jacen pushed it to the limit with the amount of blood. The acting across the board, is also quite good, despite the generic writing.

Overall, is it a step in the right direction for Singapore? Not really but I would consider it to be a baby step as the idea is there. The execution could have been less crowd pleasing and bolder. I am pleasantly surprised by the level of enjoyment I had during the 85 mins of the movie. It went by way faster than expected. I would consider this to be a huge guilty pleasure. So, for those of you out there who are as skeptical as me. Give it a watch and you will receive somewhat of a fun time, although a very forgettable one.

You Undead, I Undead, Everybody Undead

[jeddjong · 5/10 · 24 October 2018]

It's every reservist national serviceman's worst nightmare: what if you book in and due to undead-related shenanigans, never book out? This is the premise of the horror comedy Zombiepura.

Kayu Tan (Alaric Tay) isn't taking his reservist duty seriously, much to the chagrin of his overzealous sergeant Lee Siao On (Benjamin Heng). Kayu and his friend Tazan (Haresh Tilani) feign illness, in the grand tradition of national servicemen malingering to avoid going on duty. At the infirmary, Kayu and Siao On discover that their fellowmen servicemen have turned into rabid zombies. The pair must get along to survive, and must also rescue canteen operator Susie (Chen Xiuhuan) and her daughter Xiao Ling (Joeypink Lai). People will get bitten, obstacle courses will be navigated, and hopefully, ideas will be awoken as the ragtag gang try to reach the outside world and get to safety.

Zombiepura is a film that was announced in 2011 and has taken seven years to come to fruition. This reviewer has always wanted to see more mainstream genre fare, with the ability to travel, come out of Singapore. Singapore films are perceived as being either highbrow Cannes contenders or Chinese New Year fare aimed at uncles and aunties in the heartland. On paper, Zombiepura seems to occupy this middle ground. While the effort behind making a film like this is evident, the execution leaves plenty to be desired.

The film finds itself 14 years late to the Shaun of the Dead bandwagon, with characters that are nowhere near as endearing as those in Edgar Wright's zom-com, nor jokes that are anywhere near as funny. It's a lot closer to Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.

A lot of Zombiepura hinges on the local context, being set in an army camp. There are in-jokes about the banality of reservist duty and the characters are all roughly stock types, that can be easily described with one line on the poster. Plenty of the humour is crass, and audiences are meant to laugh at a soldier pretending to have depression to dodge duty. This is to say nothing of the film's flagrant misogyny - the female lead is referred to almost exclusively as 'chiobu', Hokkien for hot chick, and nobody finds this inappropriate.

The premise is relatively clever in that containing the film within an army camp limits the scope, so the movie is not obligated to show expensive scenes of city streets overrun with zombies, World War Z-style. There are several physical comedy gags that work, notably one involving two characters scrambling up a flagpole with the zombies standing at the base grasping at their feet. The zombies' specific weakness, while nothing ground-breaking, is good for a chuckle. The makeup effects, overseen by June Goh, are serviceable, and there is a healthy amount of blood and gore.

Horror films are often excellent vehicles for allegorical messages. Train to Busan astutely commented on South Korea's hierarchical pressure-cooker society, and one of the original zombie movies, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, was a satire on burgeoning consumerism in America. Zombiepura half-heartedly attempts something roughly along these lines, equating the zoned-out way bored servicemen go about their patrol duty with the mindlessness of your average zombie. However, the film doesn't push the socio-political commentary as far as this reviewer would've liked, but to be honest, nobody was expecting that of this particular film anyway.

Stars Alaric Tay and Benjamin Heng, who form the production company JAB Films with director Jacen Tan, work well opposite each other. There's not very much to either character, and they're difficult to root for. Naturally, there is a modicum of character development as the gravity of their predicament hits them. This is to say nothing of the on-the-nose names like Kayu and Siao On. Richard Low cameos as Siao On's father Mad Dog, a Regimental Sergeant Major. The implication is that Siao On is desperate to live up to his father's reputation, but this aspect of the character doesn't get enough play.

Joeypink Lai, Miss Universe Singapore 2016 finalist and realtor, functions purely as eye candy and little else. The Xiao Ling character has no complexities, and when she figures in a would-be emotional scene, there is no impact at all. Chen Xiuhuan is Lai's onscreen mother, who is similarly objectified, albeit not to the extent Lai is.

Rayve Zen's Chua, who initially seems harmless but becomes more villainous as the film goes on, is arguably the most interesting character in the film. It is in depicting his self-centredness that the film gets anywhere in the Train to Busan zone. Haresh Tilani of Ministry of Funny fame gets a small role as kind of a sidekick to Kayu, who disappears once Kayu and Siao On team up.

It is exceedingly difficult to get a movie made in Singapore, let alone a genre movie requiring stunts, permits, special effects and specialised location work. The thing is, Zombiepura easily could've been a better, smarter, funnier and cannier movie without any additions to the budget. It doesn't cost anything to not constantly objectify the female lead or outright mock mental illness. It's ironic that one of the film's sponsors is grocer Taste, since Zombiepura is sorely lacking in taste. Then again, one might argue that tasteless is exactly what a zombie movie would be. We'd hesitate to call this 'encouraging' for the industry, but in some technical aspects, perhaps it is a stagger/hobble in roughly the right direction.

above average entertaining zombie movie

[whoyok-33307 · 6/10 · 2 November 2018]

Initially was not going to watch the movie as the title sounds a little... Singapore, zombie and army... but found out one of the actors was Alaric Tay, an acquaintance, so i took some time and went in to catch it. It is more entertaining that I thought it would be. A lot closer to heart about the Singaporean lifestyle compared to CRA (ya a zombie show is more closer in reality than a semi friction romance movie about rich pple in sg), uses a lot of Singlish. Movie tells you what most Singaporeans experience in army but most prob would not tell you much about. Jokes are quite funny but felt that the story didnt have time to develop. Good attempt thou.

This movie is terrible. Singaporean review here

[radicalfriend · 2/10 · 28 October 2018]

I normally do not write review. But this is so bad that I had to write something. I was drawn to this movie because of my love for zombie film, however this is nothing like Rob zombie horror or train to busan, or the recent Japanese zombie film I am a hero.

Instead what I found is the lazy script writing of a typical horror film where the character in the film make not only terrible choices, they also feels irritating. The young female actress is also quite annoying, never seen her before, but she protray a typical Singaporean ah Lian well, and her acting and Tone is not my cup of tea. The acting overall for everyone else is just as bad, the movie starts off giving the audience a crangy feeling all the way to the end.

The way the scenes are being portrayed, feels too. Much that the characters are trying to explain the scene to the audience. Doesn't invest too much for the audience into the character or story building.

I gave it a 2 star for it being a Singapore first attempt at a zombie horror film. I feel bad for rating it so low, but it's really that bad.

If you really want a horror movie that's fun. Try one cut of the dead. It's out recently and very very good. Stay at least 40 min into the movie and you will know why. Or train to busan - Korean best zombie movie. They are making part 2 for that one. I am a hero (Japanese). Dawn of the dead is also awesome.

Wasted money on this

[daily-planet76 · 3/10 · 13 February 2019]

Dunno why this received a 7.6 rating. The most awful zombie movie I have ever seen. Singapore, I know you can do better than that.

Nah, not really worth the effort...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 5 December 2022]

Right, well as I stumbled upon the 2018 Singaporean zombie movie "Zombiepura", of course I had to watch it. No doubt about it, as it was a combination of two of my favorite things; Asian cinema and zombie genre.

Sure, I hadn't heard about "Zombiepura" from writer and director Jacen Tan, prior to sitting donw to watch it. But I figured I would give the movie a fair chance regardless, so of course I opted to watch it.

And while I did manage to get through all 85 minutes of the movie, I have to say that I wasn't particularly entertained, much less impressed with what transpired on the screen. Not only was the script a very bland and generic script, even for a zombie movie. But I will say that the movie actually felt rather redundant and pointless. The script just didn't offer anything that hadn't already been done or seen in other zombie movies, and the whole storyline was just flaccid.

I haven't watched a whole lot of Singaporean movies, so I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. However, I must admit that I didn't care one ounce about the characters or whatever fate befell them. In fact, I couldn't even give you the name of a single character in the movie just as the end credits started to roll, the whole character gallery was that generic and bland.

Visually then "Zombiepura" was adequate. You're not in for a grand spectacle of special effects or zombie make-up. In fact, it was pretty low-key zombie special effects, well, make-up actually if you look at it. But it worked well enough given the whole concept and feel of the movie.

I do like zombie things, but not everything in the genre is pure gold, and "Zombiepura" was far from being golden.

My rating of "Zombiepura" lands on a generous two out of ten stars. At least director Jacen Tan took an attempt at the zombie genre here.

Zombies in Singapura!

[jerome_yuen · 7/10 · 5 November 2018]

Love the movie for it is pure entertainment value... there were lots of zombies that looked really liked zombies, there were more than sufficient jokes about bits of Singaporean life that most Singaporean movie goers can relate to, there was a cast which I can recognize, etc... It was an easy movie to watch!

Seriously I thought the acting was pretty good - my favorite characters were Siao On and Kayu. Benjamin (Siao On) was playing a solder in command and this is a part that he should be very familiar with. Alaric (Kayu) was also very convincing as the geeky solder looking for an easy way out of his reservist duties. On the whole, the other characters were interesting but I sensed that they need more time or scenes for character development.

Personally, I would have loved a bit more twist and turns to the plot but I wondered if this was a top order in the relatively short time frame. Other horror movies from Korea & USA this season were at least 20% longer. I believed that was why I went to the cinema expecting to be frightened by Zombie horror movie but came out with a big smile on my face in the end. :D

Quick Quick... Go watch it for yourself. Chow Chi funny!!!

A Disappointing Zombie-Comedy

[Uriah43 · 3/10 · 27 July 2021]

This oddly titled film begins with an army reservist by the name of "Kayu Tan" (Alaric Tay) having to serve his required military obligation at a remote training site. Being rather selfish and lazy he quickly captures the attention of his superior non-commissioned officer "Sergeant Lee Siao On" (Benjamin Heng) who has his own issues trying to emulate his father "Sergeant Major 'Mad Dog' Lee" (Richard Lee) who just happens to be the senior non-commissioned officer of the regiment. Needless to say, the relationship between these two young men becomes even more strained when a zombie outbreak occurs at the camp and Sergeant Lee is left in charge of the extremely small number of uninfected soldiers--along with an attractive female named "Xiao Ling" (Joypink Lai)--which he is obligated to lead out of harm's way. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was one of those movies that tries too hard to fuse two separate sub-genres (in this case a zombie-comedy with an anti-military farce) in order to generate some humor. The problem is that--other than the presence of Joypink Lai--there isn't anything here that even remotely caught my eye. And even then, she wasn't capable of transforming this film into a successful comedy on her own. In short, this was an exceedingly dull comedy and I have rated it accordingly.

Good fun

[gojo-14173 · 7/10 · 1 August 2019]

I cant speak mandarin but I enjoyed just the same.

Entertaining first foray into zombie movies in Singapore!

[eneelieneeli · 8/10 · 27 October 2018]

It's about time Singapore had its own zombie film!

Train to Busan showed the world what a zombie apocalypse in a country without guns would be like. But each Asian country would react differently with or without weapons. And Singapore's tale begins in the one place in the country with weapons - an army camp.

Zombiepura doesn't take itself seriously and mocks the toxic values within the local military culture (e.g. "act blur, live longer").

The heart stopping action scenes are top-notch with professional stunt work and realistic choreography. Little nods to other famous zombie movies were a treat for keen-eyed fans!

Seven years in the making, this film blends standard humor with one of the most celebrated horror themes. While Zombiepura concerns itself with the right nows instead of the hows and whys, the storytelling makes for an entertaining action comedy.

Overall, Zombiepura is one hell of a fun ride and worth a watch on the big screen. Hopefully, it opens the doors to greater development in local horror films in the little red dot.

Zombies in Singapore!

[sherrysoon · 10/10 · 23 October 2018]

Being a zombie movie fan, I appreciate that there's a zombie movie made in Singapore by Singaporeans! I went in, not knowing what to expect, and enjoyed the movie thoroughly. From the plot, to the acting, to the cinematography, they were all well executed. The zombies (in a NS setting) were extremely believable. Fun fact! Did you know that the zombies' voice-over was by a local grindcore band, Wormrot? They have toured the US and Europe and are the first Singaporean act to play at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival. The movie is opening on 25 October. Please support local movies by watching it in the FIRST week of it's opening, so that it will continue to be screened!

Park your brains at the door

[blissmaybe · 9/10 · 26 October 2018]

This is one Singaporean zombie treat I've been waiting to dig in for a long time.

Thankfully it checks all the boxes - sheer wackiness, authentic dialogue, wild no-holds-barred adventure and goofy laugh out loud comedy. Quite easily identified with the characters too - and not just the good ones 8)

It's high time this film was made. Zombie-starved Singaporeans, enjoy.

Exciting and entertaining movie

[Garmina · 9/10 · 26 October 2018]

Watched this movie at the premiere. wasn't expecting much but pleasantly surprised at the myriad of scenes that made my heart pound with excitement and audience rolling with laughter. definitely a must-see movie for the year. Cannot stop recycling the jokes and relatable scenes with my mates during supper that night. A quality movie. Good job, producer and actors.

Uniquely Singapore movie that everyone can relate to

[Fruitfulness · 9/10 · 26 October 2018]

Watched it at the premiere. During the movie, there were lots of laughter from the audience as the scenes and jokes are easy to relate to, especially for those who have served national service. Plenty of excitement towards the middle and the ending really resolves the conflict set up at the front. Quite refreshing and a change from usual local films that are too channel 8 or painfully art house slow. This movie has got tense action, comedy and light horror. Cant quite place it but it definitely entertains. A uniquely Singapore movie that we can be proud of. Look forward to more local productions of this quality.

Zombiepura

[xmen-05396 · 9/10 · 24 October 2018]

Very exciting movie that includes both horror kind of scene and also comedy kind of ideas. Brings back a lot of army days memories. I would encourage my friends to go for the movie. Good job to the whole team for making this movie. :)

Hilarious twist to zombie virus

[iamjimmyng · 10/10 · 1 November 2018]

The muscle memory twist to the typical zombie virus is simply entertaining and funny. Excellent movie for a light hearted night out with friends

A Fun Thrilling Ride!

[lastlifeinuniverse-41351 · 9/10 · 25 October 2018]

I liked this film for the reasons below

1) The zombies felt really real! I wasn't expecting it to be that realistic, it's on par to what you see in Hollywood and Korean productions! Kudos to the actors and the makeup team.

2) The satirical view on the idiosyncrasies of Singapore army reservist culture. Anyone who's been through army can relate to it perfectly, I'm amazed that all my female companions watching the show can catch all the intended jokes too.

3) I never thought I'll be able to see such films being made in Singapore , a film that blends horror, comedy and with appearances by MediaCorp veterans that I grow up with exhibiting Singapore multilingual multiracial culture , hope this film will encourage more local film makers to pursue film making.

Horror Comedy

[kelvinlmh · 9/10 · 29 October 2018]

I was fearing it would be a very gruesome show, but it turned out to be a enjoyable horror comedy. Quite different and refreshing from the other local fares that focused on army life. From the start to end of show, seems to keep you on the suspense but no super scary moments that popped up suddenly, if you're thinking of The Ring. Those looking for political and social commentary would not find it here as it is not an arthouse film, unless you count the extent to protect the white horse as one. Otherwise it's a #bloodygood show. Hopefully the open-ended ending will lead to another sequel. Kudos!

A Singapore produced movie that's worth watching!!

[juz_galsy · 10/10 · 24 October 2018]

Finally a Singapore made movie that is worth watching!! A show that depicts the army life accurately with lots of humor! Definitely a great show!

Very satisfying meal!

[C-Bar · 10/10 · 8 November 2018]

Waited a long time for this and even flew over from California just to catch it! Im a huge fan of all things zombie but a lot of the movies are trashy or just not well done but zombiepura was so well put together it was really worth the trip, jet lag and all! Also had that kind of slightly "other" feel that cool Asian films have where kind of scary but also kind of whimsical but at slightly unexpected ways. Sometimes major movies with Asia seem like a fake backdrop but here the acting, the feel, that quirkiness... all made even the undead seem so genuine! Can't wait for Netflix or Prime so I don't have to fly 7000 miles for it!