Picture this: You and your best friend finally accumulate enough funds to buy a lovely cabin in pristine hills of West Virginia. The first time you visit the estate, you plan to carry out a few minor renovations, but things do not go according to plan. Your property is invaded by none other than the most wild, unpredictable and evil group ever to exist: college kids!
"Tucker & Dale vs Evil" follows Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine), a dynamic duo of longtime best friends, and their conflict with a few unwelcome teenagers. Despite his large stature and grisly facial hair, Tucker is a goodhearted, genuine and sensitive man. Think of him as an Appalachian teddy bear. Though he has an uncannily photographic memory, he is not the slightest bit sharp. Dale, a typical country boy, usually acts as the brains for the pair.
One night while fishing, the friends encounter a band of drunken college kids skinny-dipping in the lake close to their cabin. Allison (Katrina Bowden), the outlier in her group of stuck-up, preppy friends, falls into the water and hits her head. Heroically, Tucker dives into the murky swamp waters and rescues her.
Unfortunately for Tucker, Allison's friends mistake his act of heroism for something far worse: They believe Tucker is a hillbilly, and that he is kidnapping their friend.
So begins a hilarious chain reaction of miscommunication, false assumptions and misjudgments between the students trying to "save" their friend and Tucker and Dale, who are just trying to help the injured Allison. This sets the stage for some hysterical antics — and plenty of gory bloodshed.
Eli Craig directed this slasher comedy, and though his resume boasts some obscure titles, this movie will definitely boost his renown. The dialogue is cheesy at times, but Craig and Morgan Jurgenson's script is quite engaging. Almost every scene manages to make the audience laugh just before another gruesome death unfolds. Even the corny dialogue manages to add to the film's appeal. A film in this genre must be impeccably balanced in order to be successful; Craig executed the vital laugh-to-squirm ratio flawlessly.
Typically, knowing exactly when to expect a horrifying moment detracts from the movie-watching experience, but anticipation plays a different role in "Tucker & Dale." In this film, however, being able to predict a horrendous death somehow seems to draw the audience in even further. After all, the highly original deaths offer some of the film's best moments, and the slew of morbid possibilities allow viewers to really interact with the film. Rather than relying on standard shootings and stabbings, "Tucker & Dale" kills off characters using everything from wood-chippers to impalements.
Much of the story's appeal is due in large part to its charming main characters, attractive female supporting actresses and easy-to-hate antagonist. Craig does an excellent job building Tucker's character in particular; that kind of character development is a rarity in horror flicks. Viewers naturally feel attached to this clumsy Good Samaritan who inadvertently draws his best friend and himself into a terrible ordeal.
Nevertheless, affection for Tucker's character will not stop the audience from laughing at his misadventure. In fact, many of the movie's laughs are built around others' misfortunes — for example, Tucker's painful attempt to smooth-talk Allison, or Dale getting stung by an entire hive of bees. The characters' awkwardness and injuries really do make this movie sidesplitting.
Overall, "Tucker & Dale vs Evil" is a great movie that promises audiences a few good screams, plenty of laughs and a wonderfully satisfying viewing experience.
