DVD Review - Cabin Fever: Patient Zero

 

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero
Director: Kaara Andrews
Starring: Ryan Donowho, Brando Eaton, Jullian Murray, Mitch Ryan, Lydia Hearst and Sean Astin
Studio: Image Enterainment
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Retail: $27.97
ASIN: B00KTLO2H2
Running Time: 95 mintues
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

While I do consider myself a horror film buff, I do not know the reason why I ignored watching the original Cabin Fever directed by Eli Roth for so long. I guess maybe a movie about flesh-eating-virus didn't intrigue me at the time. I happened to stumble upon the DVD, as well as its sequel Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, in the $5 bin at Walmart a year or two ago. I always love a good bargain, so I purchased both movies. Surprisingly to me, Cabin Fever turned out to a well-crafted gorefest, but I can't exactly say the same thing for its 2010 direct-to-DVD sequel that was directed by Ti West (The House of the Devil). Yes, there is plenty of gore, but it also has a too much humor and the pot is all over the place.

After Spring Fever receive negative reviews from critics and horror fans alike, the franchise seemed to be dead that is until the direct-to-DVD prequel, Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, was released last week. Kaare Andrews ("V is for Vagitus" in The ABCs of Death ) takes over as director with Sean Astin and Currie Graham leading the cast of nobodies.

Filmed entirely in the Dominican Republic, the movie shows the birth of the flesh-eating-virus that claimed the life of Porter's son on a small remote island, while at the same time infecting Porter played by Sean Astin, but there is one little catch - Porter seems to be immune to the virus. A group a scientist, lead by Dr. Edwards (played by Currie Graham) are keeping him locked up, in the attempt to contain the virus and find a cure.

Meanwhile, the film focuses on a bachelor party (well, a trip) with the future groom Marcus (played by Mitch Ryan) celebrating his last day of freedom with his brother Josh (played by Brando Eaton), Josh's girlfriend Penny (played by Jillian Murray) and his best friend Dobbs (played by Ryan Donowho). They arrive on the island to party, but after a quick swim, Penny becomes ill. Unable to travel, the gang leaves Penny behind and searches the island for help. They stumble upon the research facility that is studying Porter. Lets just say, chaos and many deaths soon occur.


While the plot in this sequel is pretty thin, it is a major step forward from Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever; dropping all the unwanted humor. Sadly, all of the characters are one-dimensional and the acting is bland except for Sean Astin's performance. The only good thing about the movie is the practical special effects and several gory scenes. The ending twist was uncalled for, but it will probably lead into the planned Cabin Fever: Outbreak. Overall, Cabin Fever: Patient Zero is a slightly better than the second film. I recommend ignoring the plot and watch the movie for what it is - a gorefest.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.