PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When you have a few streaming sites full of horror movies, sometimes the good ones can get right past you. That’s what you have friends for. They can point you in the direction of rare undiscovered gems or horribly bad but laughable movies. I was recently asked to watch Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans – between those two categories which do you think this one falls under? Let’s discuss!
In his directorial debut, former race car driver and stuntman Stanton Barrett takes his hand at film with Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans also known as Navy SEALs vs Zombies. I like that second title so much more – not sure why they changed it. Another reason they should have kept that latter title is because it is made very clear early on that film takes place in Baton Rouge. That’s not the only thing that will make you scratch your head in confusion during this movie though. More on that later.
The most perplexing thing however about Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans would have to be the wide range of mixed ratings. On IMDb.com, it is rated a very low 3.3 out of ten but on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 78% positive rating. What? Maybe by breaking down the movie, we can figure out why people are either loving or hating this film.
Official Synopsis of Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans:
“A team of highly skilled Navy SEALS find themselves embarking on the battle of their lives when they come face-to-face with the undead. After a deadly outbreak occurs in New Orleans, the SEALS must fight for their lives, and the city, against an army of zombies.”
If that description doesn’t make you want to watch Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans , I don’t know what will. All joking aside, this film does have its moments… as in “so terribly bad that you have to laugh” moments. The downfalls of this movie are actually what make it entertaining. The dialogue seems like it was written by a 7th grader. The acting is either way over the top or maybe deep under ground… I’m still not sure.
The Vice President is played by ex basketball star Rick Fox, who seems to have watched a lot of Obama speeches to gather inspiration for his role. The people who played the zombies might just be the best actors of the film, and even they seem more like football linebackers at some times and drunk pedestrians at others. I read somewhere that they used real Navy SEALs in this film. If that is true, then we have some seriously out of shape Navy SEALs here in the US. The most disappointing aspect with Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans is the fact that one major kill is not even seen and then a helicopter just explodes. “Sandman down.”
Rick Fox being Vice Presidential
The most enjoyable parts of this film for me would have to be the quotes. Here are a few of my favorite ones.
1.) (News reporter referring to the zombies): “If you have any news on these perpetrators, please notify authorities.”
2.) “I am infected, but it’s only pink eye!”
3.) “Hey! You guys are real Navy SEALs!”
4.) Secret Service Agent referring to the zombies: “There is a suspicious suspect!”
5.) CIA Agent: “Mistakes were made, lives were unnecessarily lost.”
Final Thoughts:
If you are a fan of really bad B rated cheesy horror movies with practical effects, then Navy SEALs: The Battle for New Orleans is for you. It has a plot that doesn’t make sense and hilarious banter. The sound is terrible and there are a lot of goofs that are easy to spot. Answering my own earlier question about whether this is an undiscovered gem or a horrible hilarious horror film, I’m going to have to go with the latter. Watch this >1.5 star rated flick on Netflix if you this sounds up your ally.
