Undead or Alive

'Undead or Alive' tells the story of two cowboys played by Chris Kattan and James 'Desperate Housewives' Denton, on the run from the town sheriff and his posse, who also happen to be zombies.

Yes, 'Undead or Alive' is a Zombie Western, which, as genre mash-ups go, certainly sounds promising on paper. And it is written and directed by Glasgow Phillips, one of the co-creators of the TV series 'South Park', which suggests that it might be a lot of fun. But does the film live up to its potential?

Well, the short answer is 'no'. 'Undead or Alive' is a disappointment. Unlike other comedy zombie movies, such as Peter Jackson's 'Braindead' or Simon Pegg's 'Shaun of the Dead', it isn't funny enough when it plays for laughs, and isn't scary or outrageous enough when it goes for the scares or gore.

Though that's not to say that 'Undead or Alive' is a bad film. There are laughs to be had in the first half hour, such as in the can shooting sequence, and the chemistry between Denton and Kattan is likeable enough, and generates a handful of amusing one-liners.

Also, credit where credit is due, the zombie make-up is pretty effective too. The zombie in the jail in the opening scenes is particularly gruesome, with a genuinely revolting pallor, conveying a deadness absent from many other zombie films.

The problems develop once the action picks up. Once the cowboys team up with Native American Navi Rawat and battle hordes of zombie soldiers, it all gets a bit tiresome. There's only so many times you can watch a zombie being shot in the head before the novelty wears off, and there's little time set aside for the kind of dialogue that kept the momentum going in the first half hour.

Though it is hard to dislike 'Undead or Alive' it is even harder to recommend it. It passes the time well enough, and isn't without its moments, but it is ultimately something of a missed opportunity.