So the Germans -my forefathers- decided to throw their hat into the zombie/infected apocalypse ring, eh? It figures. Who isn't doing these types of movies these days? At least Rammbock put a different twist on things... mainly because it's set in Germany?
Der Hinterland is overrun with hordes of infected, and a group of Deutsch losers decide it best to hide in their apartments, rather than karate fight their way out of Berlin. You already know the story; humanity is overrun with a mysterious virus that zombifies people and makes them angry and bitey, an assorted cast of dumb asses die one by one, and camera flashes hurt the zombies... ok, that last one may be new.
Our main character, Michael, spends most of the movie pining for his ex-girlfriend, whom is missing somewhere out there amidst all of the kraut zombies, which gets a little old after a while. I mean, she dumped you, the world is essentially ending, and you need to find her? Meh. Focus on living, and let her new man worry about saving her dirty, cheating ass!
Aside from that lameness, the zombies/infected are pretty neat for the most part, although if you don't like the fast "28 Days Later" type of "zombie", you may not like them so much. I'm to the point now where it doesn't bother me so much anymore, although old school Fulci-style zombies are my sentimental fave. Then again, these are infected, and not truly zombies, so maybe it's all just pointless to argue about. Whatever. Stop being so picky, you horror snobs!
The fast movers do add a certain excitement that the slow moving plodders can't quite muster though, and thus you can take the story in different directions because of that. It certainly can make for all kinds of tense moments, especially towards the end of this one when the survivors make a break for it, using cameras as weapons... sure it sounds lame, but it was actually kinda cool.
The Master Says- B Clocking in at a little over an hour long, Rammbock manages to be pretty fun, and while not an instantly classic movie, is certainly a worthy addition to the zombie/infected genre. Make sure you go check it out when it hits an AMC theater near you!
