Johnny Z – Review

Experience a rip-roaring, gut-splattering zombie-fest with Johnny Z – the ultimate action-packed horror from award-winning writer-director Jonathan Straiton (Night of Something Strange). This undead, brain-splatting wild-ride walks on to UK digital on the 14th of August courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.

The earth has changed beyond recognition as a violent zombie epidemic has almost completely wiped-out human life as we know it. A half-human, half-zombie creation called Johnny (Michael Merchant – She Kills) has escaped from medical prison and driven by the knowledge that his blood may hold the key to a cure for the zombie outbreak, embarks on a mission to find a scientist capable of developing an antidote.

Johnny’s dangerous journey is driven by a desire for merciless revenge against his nefarious creators. Teaming up with Jonray (Felix Cortes – Plane, Daredevil), a martial arts Grandmaster, and his brother Crisanto (Jason Delgado), they embark on a treacherous violence fuelled-quest.

Join Johnny Z for an explosive blend of martial arts mayhem and zombie-zapping thrills.

Read on for my thoughts on the film, or skip to the bottom to view the trailer

Back in the late nineteen hundreds, films like Johnny Z would have been direct to video with insane box art that bore no resemblance to the actual film. Johnny Z’s cover would have probably featured a strapping barbarian with a scantily clad woman grabbing his thigh as he used his broadsword to slay an army of skeletal forces while a dragon swooped down from the sky. Or something.

These days what we get is a digitally produced poster that has slightly more to do with the actual film but not that much, and a digitally shot film that, for me, always lack some of that filmic grit that used to make the low budget DTV delights of yesteryear somehow more cinematic.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on what this film was missing, but having thought about it that’s what it was. The noise of film.

Set in a weird post apocalyptic world that is apparently over run with wifi created zombies (as far as I could work out by the end) but where people seem to be getting on with their lives too, we find ourselves in a nefarious organisation’s underground lab. We know that’s what it is as the people are all wearing outfits the Umbrella corporation would be proud of. One of the doctors has obviously seen the error of his ways and is trying to breakout “Test Subject Z” you know, good old Patient Zero. A half man, half zombie who’s blood could be the cure to the entire zombie outbreak.

In between the scenes of the breakout we are introduced to a masked martial arts master (Jonray) who’s going through a warehouse wiping out zombies until he comes across a couple of little girls who are busy gnawing on a dead rat (it’s a squirrel, they’re in the credits). An ideal time to show us he’s a good guy as he stops in his tracks, seemingly unable to bring himself to turn these little zombie sprogs into fun size chunks, he’s hit by a bigger zombie and loses his weapon. Run Away!

Back to the escaping doctor as he’s chased by the Squid Games sponsored by Umbrella Corporation reject bad guys and is shot as he drives. Being shot briefly changes his white lab coat into a dark green coat and him into a stunt driver, maybe it’s the weaponry of this post apocalyptic land?

Our friend who lost his blade is walking home in this direction and so stumbles across the chaos, easily taking out the bad guys just in time for the doc to tell him what he needs to do with the zombie cargo he’s carrying. Finding a breathing bodybag in the back of the van, he sets about following the instructions.

Jonray takes the zombie to his barn/hideout/house? Much to the horror of his drunken comic relief brother Crisanto (beautifully played by Jason Delgado). The film flips in and out of Spanish language in small parts from here on out so make sure you’ve got the subtitles going if, like me you have no language skills.

The zombie is locked in a cellar with a trapdoor straight out of The Evil Dead.

The rest of the film is Jonray on his quest to find the doctor who he needs to get the zombie to. We get a better, but never full, understanding of the ongoing zombie outbreak. Meeting the Bossman, who is a fantastically flamboyant character with some of the best worst dialogue in the film. Billy Garberina totally chews the scenery in this role and it’s perfect and a possible glimpse that Jonray used to make his money taking part in gladiatorial battles in the bubble.

There’s also a beautiful rendition of House of the Rising Sun and I’ve no idea who it’s by and must find it; anyway, I digress…

In flashbacks we see Jonray perpetually recreating what happened to him, each time getting a little more backstory. Little does he know, the zombie has been escaping and watching him train, mimicking his every martial art move. Becoming an undead master of the Kali stick. When Jonray realises, he decides to train the Z up, and calls him… you guessed it JOHNNY Z! It’s basically The Karate Kid. “Karate Kid 4: Cobra Kai never dies, because its full of zombies”?

They take the fight to the perpetually sweaty leader of the Umbrella from Wish Corporation (deftly played by David E. McMahon btw) and well, showdowns, dodgy CGI gunfire and overacted big fights ensue. Leaving Johnny Z, and us, to question who or what he is and will he get a sequel?

So that’s Johnny Z, a joyous ride into a zombie populated future in the action packed style of the past. Plenty of gore, great practical make up effects, dodgy CGI gunfire effects, continuity errors, dodgy dialogue and cheap scenery, literally EVERYTHING you could want in a film like this.

With a George A Romero “Dead” movie at its heart, JMuch like Jonray and Johnny’s relationship, Johnny Z had me hating it at the beginning, and absolutely loving it by the end.

From the opening scene until the credits roll, Johnny Z is a blood soaked, crazy fun ride that despite it’s low budget, swings for the fences.

If you’re a fan of horror movies, zombie movies, action movies, outbreak movies or zombie outbreak action horror movies, don’t miss Johnny Z.

Oh, and also if you’re a cosplayer or just someone looking for a great costume for this years Halloween party there’s loads in here for you.

Johnny Z is available now from Reel 2 Reel Films.

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