29th Mar2014

‘Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Bryan Larkin, Iván Kamarás, Michael McKell, Velibor Topic, Laurence Possa, Ben Lambert, Alec Utgoff, Vivien Taylor, Vince Docherty, Gareth Morrison | Written by Rae Brunton | Directed by Kieran Parker

Outost-3-DVD

A team of fearless Russian Spetsnaz unearth details of the shocking research being taken out by the Nazis. Before they’re able to report on this discovery, the Spetsnaz are savagely captured by the Nazis and detained at an underground facility. It’s revealed that the Nazis are scientifically developing an invincible army of undead soldiers to unleash upon the unsuspecting Allies. If the Spetsnaz are to survive this ordeal, and subsequently the war, they must fight their way through a series of gladiatorial battles with the experimental undead to escape the brutal facility before the Nazis can perfect their research and send their zombie army across Europe.

The follow-up to 2012’s Outpost: Black Sun, Rise of the Spetsnaz comes once again from Rae Brunton, the screenwriter behind all three installments of the British zombie franchise. However former director Steve Barker, who helmed both Outpost and Outpost: Black Sun, has been replaced by producer Kieran Parker for this prequel to the previous two movies – this time round working with an even lower budget and even less imagination.

Confession time: I’m not a fan of the Outpost franchise. If you ever read my review of the second film in the series you’ll know that (although I’ve since wiped that review from my mind and from this site). So why review the third film? Benefit of the doubt. That’s why. Given that the series has reached a third installment I had hopes – honestly, as I did with before watching the previous film – that there would be a glimmer of a decent idea, a great plot twist, some great special effects. And like each and every film before it, I’ve been sadly disappointed by Outpost III.

This time round the action moves from gory zombie-filled horror to more of a traditional World War II era action flick, which just happens to have zombies as the bad guys. Oh and there’s the odd Nazi or four as well; and plenty of genre cliches and stereotypes too, as the cast of indistinguishable characters go toe-to-toe in a dimly-lit, washed out tale that is missing the madcap lunacy that makes other Nazi/zombie films such as Dead Snow and Bloodstorm so ridiculously watchable.

If, like me, you thought Outpost: Black Sun was bad, then I beg you to avoid Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz like the proverbial plague. Weak, derivative, mediocre and offering nothing worthwhile of note, this should (hopefully) be the final nail in this British horror franchise. If not I won’t be back to review the fourth…

Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz is released on DVD on March 31st.

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