Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse the title should tell you all you need to know about this film. It sounds fairly cheesy and being frank if you are above a certain age terrible. The good news is this little zombie, comedy, gore-fest is much, much, greater than the sum of its parts.

The plot is simple, zombies, and scouts, the skills they learned could save the day, will they? See if you can guess. You can fail in this type of film there but the director and one of the team of writers, Christopher Landon, his dad was Michael Landon, gave it one thing that lacks in so many efforts, heart. The gore is there for horror fans, the comedy is not subtle, but neither should it be and more importantly every main character is likable in their own way.

I was particularly impressed that the stripper – sorry as she says night club hostess – is as capable as the boys and, in the context of the film, a nice person. Good one writers, good one.

The story is nothing original at all – nice lads really into something that is really uncool so they cannot get any girls [check], fancying the lovely impossible girl who has an arsehole boyfriend [check], having a best friend who tries hard to be cool but is not and does not realise it [check] - see if you can guess what happens by the end of the story.

The path maybe familiar, the story well-worn and well-used, but this is played most definitely for laughs and is, at its heart a very kind-hearted story. The deaths and attacks of zombies are both gruesome, and in one trampolining incident, hilariously gruesome. Beware though if you are at all prudish there is some boobage and willy action.
All the actors, relatively unknown, and better known, David Koechner and Cloris Leachman, both give good and funny accounts of themselves, and it is clear everyone bought into the story and filming. The chemistry is there for you to see. The soundtrack is good and fist the action throughout, no clashing here and the special effects, over-the-top, gruesome, and funny fit the style and feel of the film perfectly. It is great.

If nothing else Scouts Guide to the Apocalypse is fun evening’s entertainment that should appeal to horror or comedy fans alike and as long as you are not looking for something completely original or subtle you should come away entertained at least.

Anyone ever wonder what a cult film is. This is surely one in the making here. I liked it, I cannot guarantee you will, but if you watch it remember what the title of the film is, this should be your guide – or scout even.