12th Jul2018

‘Attack of the Adult Babies’ Review #2

by Philip Rogers

Stars: Kurtis Lowe, Andrew Dunn, Andy Abrahams, Dominic Brunt, Charlie Chuck, Kate Coogan, Simon Corble, Samantha Daniels, Sally Dexter, Howard Ellis, Nicky Evans, Thalia Zucchi, Joanne Mitchell, Mica Proctor, Laurence R. Harvey | Written by Joanne Mitchell, Paul Shrimpton | Directed by Dominic Brunt

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George (Andrew Dunn) is playing a board game at home with his family, when they are disrupted by two armed Russian gangsters who invade their home. Taking George as a hostage they give instructions to his wife Sandra (Kate Coogan) her son Tim (Kurtis Lowe) and step daughter Kim (Mica Proctor) to break into a remote country manor to steal several secret documents. The ultimatum if they refuse to participate or fail to obtain the documents, George will be killed. They make their way to the mansion as instructed, but once they arrive it is not unoccupied and the events inside anything but normal. Behind the closed doors the countries most powerful men dress up as babies and looked after by carers who are dressed in scantily clad nurse uniforms. What seems like a harmless role play involving giant baby bottles and dirty nappies is only the surface of an operation. What eventually passes through will help to refuel the world’s economy, but as always this comes at a cost.

Attack of the Adult Babies is one of those films which are best watched without spoilers, because the less you know about the bizarre events the better experience. Director Dominic Brunt delivers on a brilliantly original concept which is laugh out loud funny due to its ridiculously over the top delivery, although it is clearly not a film for those who are easily offended. The initial story being grounded, with the family being blackmailed into stealing documents and the lavish scenario of Britain’s elite being pampered in nappies not so hard to imagine. But even in the more normal opening scene the film manages to create an impression with a rather one-sided family affair, which causes a crusty situation due to artistic preferences. It is clear to see from the start the crass style of humour which the film incorporates, and you will know from the first shot whether you have the stomach for the film.

There is an 80’s body horror feel using a mixture of CGI and prosthetics to great effect and when it comes to delivering the gore on the screen – it doesn’t hold back! Using an array of weapons including a chainsaw, cleaver and a potent laxative, the violence is unsurprisingly very graphic. Delivering a real impact where the deaths occur unexpectedly, with supposedly key characters brutally slaughtered early on in the film so you soon realise that no-one is safe. It is not unusual for a horror comedy to have some funny death scenes, but Dominic proves he has a knack for the morbid as his dark twisted humour had me laughing during every kill.  Ultra-violent, bloody and sometimes just plain repulsive, but always delivered with a well thought out and comical execution.

The focus of the action is constantly shifting as it moves seamlessly between a series of hilarious proceedings which are often happening simultaneously. There are plenty of WTF moments as events are unfolding throughout the film, but it still manages to somehow escalate events unpredictably in the final 20 minutes. This includes a surreal dreamlike sequence which evolves into an inventive Claymation segment. Just when you think it couldn’t get any stranger, the film throws in something unexpected to keep you engaged.

Attack of the Adult Babies has brought together a great cast who looked as though they were having a lot of fun during the process, although it is still surprising that they got so many men agreeing to parade around as a baby in an adult sized nappy. It would be a stretch to say any of them look dignified, yet some do surprisingly manage to pull it off better than others. One of the adult babies who stood out for me was Laurence R. Harvey as Michael, who many will know from The Human Centipede 2 (2011), who despite only having a few lines delivers some particularly humours moments.

Sally Dexter stands out with a stern performance as Margaret who proves herself to be quite formidable. Relentless in her role, she does whatever is needed to perform her duties, whilst remaining devoid of any empathy for those effected. Her dominant and volatile temper makes her a formidable force proving to be someone who you would want to be up against. It is however Joanne Mitchell who steals the film for me with her brilliantly unnerving performance as Clinton. In a very physical comedy performance, she is amusing from the start with her sinister smile and protruding teeth, however it is her vacant stare as she seems to scan about like a bewildered meerkat which had me laughing.

With a title like Attack of the Adult Babies and the graphic artwork, it is the type of film which you would have expected to catch your eye on a VHS cover of your local video store. The difference with this time however, Attack of the Adult Babies actually delivers on the absurdity which the artwork suggests. With outrageous characters, toilet humour and plenty of gory violence, it has the ability to make you wince, laugh and feel disgusted often at the same time. It is a great example of a horror comedy where the director has been done something right, even if he has managed to create something which is undeniably very, very wrong!

Attack of the Adult Babies is out now on Limited Edition Blu-ray from Nucleus Films; the film gets a standard DVD release in November.

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