Okay, I'm just going to throw it out there and admit that I didn't
get "Pontypool." Maybe I'm losing my touch or maybe this is one of
the most incomprehensible messes I've seen in years, but "Pontypool"
makes no sense. It's abrupt, awkwardly paced, and often times
doesn't even know what to do with the formula it's set up. We're
supposed to be watching a movie about what I can assume are zombies
that have turned in to the walking dead (?) due to a sudden
infection that's carried through the English language. Did you
understand that? Because I sure as hell didn't! Not for lack of
trying but "Pontypool" sets itself up to be this horror post
apocalyptic thriller that never fully resolves itself and allows for
gore that is never explained. Do the infected really hunt the normal
citizens? Why?
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Why is the English language
infected causing the whole structure of civilization to
collapse, and to that end why isn't this happening anywhere
else? Why do the infected commute to the local radio
station? Why do some of the infected contract a need to
spill blood and gauge victims' eye out while others are just
harmless rambling morons without the ability to stop talking
let alone stalk and kill? I don't know, maybe I just don't
understand this movie (so feel free to explain it to me),
but then after perusing online reviews other folks don't
seem to know what was happening either. |
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"Pontypool"
gets off to a good start with radio frequencies symbolizing the
dreadful things to come while we hear beat by beat the world coming
to an end over the radio, but then it's really nothing but endless
dribble, meandering plot lines and a never truly clear answer to
what was happening in Pontypool. While I love ambiguity as much as
the next guy, it should not be a complete shut out from the central
premise and point of the story. Furthermore we're never told what it
is about the English language that's infecting people nor do we
understand why it's infecting people and to what degree, we just
know that there's a decent amount of gore followed by endless
babbling that never really manages to fully realize its own concept.