The Horde plays as an action movie, and it's not a bad one. Dahan and Rocher make their run-down setting an integral part of the action; it dictates what the cops and crooks can do without ever feeling arbitrary. The balance of power shifts often enough to keep the audience guessing a little. Both shootouts and hand-to-hand combat are well-choreographed and bloody, which is actually pretty impressive - there really aren't that many zombie movies that make a fight between the living and the undead work, especially when the protagonists don't have much in the way of firearms and large blades at their disposal (it helps that the infected in this movie are on the fast side).Prostheses and gore are pretty good, although the lighting sometimes hides just how good. Some of the digital effects aren't quite as good as they could be, perhaps - though the movie is mostly practical effects, there's always something not quite right about the smoke in the background.7/10

Mon dieu! For some reason the Metro newspaper touted this as the 'first even French zombie film' completely forgetting about Zombie Lake and the Grapes of Death. I haven't seen the Grapes of Death, but can tell you right now that it's much better than Zombie Lake (although not as funny).A group of French cops head for a mostly derelict block of flats to get revenge on some gangsters for killing one of their mates, and to rescue their boss who is being held captive. Of course, they completely botch the job, ending up captured by the gangsters and all lined up against a wall, ready to be executed. Outside, some sort of ruckus builds up and it becomes apparent to our people that something really bad is happening in Paris. The living dead have returned! Which I think has only happened in about three films ever up to this point.You know the drill. Loads of arguing, then everyone teams up eventually after a few folks get munched on. There's a pretty good sequence when the executed boss of the cops resurrects and the gangster fire about a million bullets into him (and some unlucky gangster). These are your fast moving zombies right here, so the survivors have to make it out of the building alive. However, some gangsters don't forget who they are, and some cops don't forget why they came to the building in the first place. Never mind pointing out that they were probably safer in the block of flats because I tried that and the film didn't listen anyway.Along the way they also meet a crazed elderly man who's quite handy with a machine gun and there's all sorts of shenanigans as the crew try to escape from the basement. While just another zombie film, the Horde play a bit with your expectations and those you expect to escape might not be the ones to make it.It's not hard to make an enjoyable zombie film (although it's surprising how many fail), and the Horde manages to be just that: An enjoyable zombie film. It keeps the pace up and throws in loads of zombie action. Just when you're beginning to think the film is flagging a bit, it picks up again. Don't worry if you miss it though – there's probably about a million zombie films being made as a type this.

The plot: A group of rogue cops go on a black ops mission to assassinate a cop killer, but a zombie outbreak forces the cops and gangsters to cooperate.The Horde is more about characters and stylistic excess than plot. It takes an overused genre cliché, a zombie siege, and twists it into an interesting story, full of nice shots and violent action sequences. Within the confines of the genre clichés, you can also see subtle satire. I enjoyed how the nominal "good guys" and "bad guys" are not nearly so black and white, and, instead, merge into a single group, despite the protestations from several people involved. Squabbling survivors who refuse to work together are nothing new to the genre, but The Horde manages to turn this additional cliché into brief statements about tribalism, military interventionism, racism, sexism, immigration, and family violence. As a fast-paced action movie, it's more concerned with exploitative violence than any kind of social message, but there's some depth to it, if you feel like looking. Otherwise, you can just enjoy the carnage. With the excellent fight choreography and stunt work, there's plenty to go around. Although the zombies tend to be the frenetic modern re-imagining, it doesn't get out of hand, and purists (who insist on slow zombies) should not be overly put off.If you're looking for something original, I'd suggest Fido. If, on the other hand, you're in the mood for something that celebrates genre conventions, while slipping in a bit of satire, I heartily recommend The Horde. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in other areas.

The Horde is one of those zombie films that concentrates on action rather than adhering to the standard (and more graphic) formula espoused by directors like George A. Romero and Lucio Fulci. The main difference between the two styles is that in the action-type movies the zombies are sometimes not the slow-moving type--they move fast. In this case extremely fast. This deviation from the norm (which is becoming much more common lately) often has its good points--and its bad points. Obviously, it gives an action film a shot of adrenalin which is highly preferred by those who enjoy this kind of film. Unfortunately, because the action often dominates everything, it sometimes diminishes any chance of good acting. It can also stunt much needed character development causing the film to seem somewhat shallow. This movie is no exception. However, the quality of the action is such that it manages to hide these faults for the most part. Likewise, the version I saw was dubbed in English but it also turned out to be a non-factor due to the fast pace overall. While it may not be as graphic as some zombie fans would like, it does offer plenty of violence and blood throughout which might appease all but the most die-hard fans of gore. In summation, it has its faults but if you're a zombie fan it is definitely worth watching. If you're not into zombies then it's still a good enough action film that's still probably worth a look.