Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez’ Planet Terror

By: Alibastard | in: Movies |

Robert Rodriguez seems to work best in ensemble pieces. One of my favorite works he’s ever concocted is perhaps his “Misbehaviors” segment from Four Rooms, made with colleague directors Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell and Quentin Taratino. It pulls out all the stops, its comedic, brutal, frenzied and strange, and the story idea and its characters are so strong that it carries the film almost single-handedly.

Planet Terror

‘Planet Terror’, Rodriguez’s highly anticipated segment to he and Tarantino’s exploitation epic, is no let down in this regard. Save the last three minutes (which feel a little unnecessary), the entire work is a finely-tuned collage of tongue-in-cheek, action/thriller devices, beautifully broad and laugh-out-loud, kick-ass caricatures, and plot thicken after plot thicken. In fact, the plot’s so thick you feel yourself smiling over gruesome batter, aching to like the bowl, or make a sick batch of griddle cakes. If general hospital were displaced into a George A. Romero film, shot and scored by John Carpenter and thrown to the Zucker Brothers to produce, you’d get something close to ‘Planet Terror.’

Planet Terror

And then there are aspects that are straight-up Rodriguez. The lesbian doctor who’s own color-coded anesthetics make her hands limp, a characteristic that allows her to painlessly dive through windows, tear her head from the grip of her fellow M.D. husband, and attempt, hilariously, to operate an automobile.
Or take Cherrie, the sad Go-Go dancer who pines to be a stand-up comedian. Imagine her pain, and the audience’s effusive laughter, when she gets her leg amputated and says sadly to an ex, “I can’t stand up…I - I wanted to be a stand up comedian”. All of this amidst terrorizing zombies inflamed with ever-enlarging boils, tireless explosions and more blood than a maternity ward during a full moon (“Werewolves of the SS” anyone?). Considering his track record for half-assed, melodramatic, action schlock just halfway re-animated by gunfire and a good line or two, it’s the closest I’ve seen Rodriguez come to brilliance, Sin City excluded. And he actually succeeds, the whole way through.

Planet Terror

One of the most compelling aspects of the film in total is watching the two directors deal with compatible material in their own way. Its like they had a check list and each one said, “Reference the Iraq war - check. Reference exploitation of women - check.” Where Rodriguez and Quentin differ, is where the film as a whole finds its balance. Rodriguez paints in broad strokes, inserting endless facets to the storyline, endless coincidences, several locations, creative variations on brutality, sexual perversion, women saviors, pop-culture reference and gore – all surface, like cake decorations. What perhaps garners less respect, though more entertainment value, is this very aspect of his segment. It references the nature of exploitation films, for example, but it still tries to give you a hard-on. This seems a little problematic. He puts on the cake decorations, and then says, “have the cake and eat it too.” This is just one aspect within the deeper meanings of the film that Tarantino shows more grace, and a larger thoughtfulness. Choosing female leads sexy, but not skeletal, unique and with bodies that speak more of human characters rather than cartoon-ish ones embodies his own take on exploitation, for example, and with a little more intellectual punch to boot.

Planet Terror

Of course each filmmaker makes the decisions that bring out the best in his creation, and as Rodriguez’s world is one more of caricatures, cartoons and action/horror theatrics than measured suspense and stunt-film realism, his decisions to wield the cleavage shots, innuendos and down-right unnecessary gore are fully in harmony with the demands of his vision, though I have to say I still remain somewhat suspect on that single element. The payoff nonetheless, is nothing short of incredible.
Where one segment delivers evenly, and with endless entertainment, the other eases into its gore, stewing in mystique and music and then knocks your lights out for the count.
Together the visions are, if nothing else, wickedly entertaining and wildly fun.

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Posted on April 7, 2007

Comments

8 Responses to “Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez’ Planet Terror”

mozzer on April 7th, 2007 12:48 pm

Great dissection of Rodgriguez’s work. I’ve always liked his visual style. It’s like a comic book brought to life. I can’t wait to see this movie!

Rustycat on April 7th, 2007 4:55 pm

I love Rodriguez, big fan, From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, the whole nine..
I’m really looking forward to seeing it already.

Great review by the way.

Peety on April 7th, 2007 10:54 pm

I am so looking forward to these two films Thanks for the review..

pligg.com on April 7th, 2007 11:42 pm

Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez’ Planet Terror

Robert Rodriguez seems to work best in ensemble pieces. One of my favorite works he’s ever concocted is perhaps his “Misbehaviors” segment from Four Rooms, made with colleague directors Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell and Quentin Taratino. It …

Carlos on April 11th, 2007 12:50 pm

Hi Guys,

I thought the GrindHouse was good money spent. The whole experience was awesome. Starting from the posters, trailers, and then the movie. I found Planet Terror to be exciting and Death Proof to fall flat on it’s face. Rodriguez created a perfect film, one that could be seen as a stand alone film. Action, laughs, great characters, etc. etc. etc. On the other hand, I thought that wasn’t Tarantino’s best material. After an explosive Planet Terror, I felt bored with Death Proof. I could not connect with the characters. I thought they were 2-dimensional and boring and since the movie was about the characters it just didn’t work. With Planet Terror it was the opposite. The characters were unique and the situation was also unique (cliche but doable). Overall, Planet Terror kicked ass and maybe it should have been the second movie instead of the openning one. When I left the theater I was not completely satisfied. Again, I felt the first movie (PT) kicked ass and then (DP) just fell flat. Maybe that’s why it didn’t do that well in the Box Office. just a thought. regards. -c

ipodwheels on April 20th, 2007 8:16 am

Tarantino and Rodriguez took such a risk with this two part film. I think this is an art film mainly because, they broke all common norms that movies follow today. For one, when almost all movies are going HD they delved into the grainy “dirty reel” look.

I heard that the movie did not do that well in the theaters in terms of sale. Honestly, I don’t think both directors cared. They made a kick ass movie that takes balls to produce and it went out well. I guess it is just genre.

I have yet to see a movie that is perfect in every sense. I will still have to say this is a movie that you would want to see. Or you’ll forever be wondering how it is.