Sunday, March 27, 2022

LLamageddon (2015)

 My viewing of 'Llamageddon' is related to an ongoing dispute between me and my podcast co-host Rob about if this or 'VelociPastor' is the better movie, Rob contends for the former and I the latter. Rob is quite simply wrong, 'VelociPastor', whose praises I sing elsewhere, is by far the better movie. 

In saying a little about 'Llamageddon' I have to do so in relation to the superior dinosaur priest movie. Where 'VelociPastor' cast comic aspiration for scope and a budget beyond its means, 'Llamageddon' goes much more small scale, it is basically a 'bottle movie.' The action is set mostly at a little farm house, it makes illusions to 'Night of the Living Dead' and more overtly to 'Critters' and 'Evil Dead', the latter being referenced by name. 

Where 'VelociPastor' is largely made by some committed central performances, the cast of 'Llamageddon' is goofing off, they are horrible actors, a bunch of collage age kids who seem to be having some fun, but aren't so much committing to their performances. I am of the opinion of, and it is the correct opinion, that satire is at its best the closer to straight the actors are playing it. 

Where I laughed fairly regularly during 'VelociPastor' I think I laughed once during 'Llamageddon'. The first movies pun based conceit was inspired, where the forced gage of the latter is simply forced. Crashed space ship, red eyed alien, laser blasting, green mutagen blowing Llama is released. What does he want? That is simply never clear. 

There's a few witty lines, and once or twice the film does something unexpected and odd enough to warrant a proto chuckle, but on the whole its dull, repetitive, plays long, and is uninspired. It would be hard to justify giving it anymore then *

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