#REVIEW: “COOTIES”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

From new Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion comes a Film about the Cootie Apocalypse, well if you’re situated near Fort Chicken. The Movie is mildly-entertaining, which is quiet surprising when you look at the writing duo of Leigh Whannell (creator of Saw) and Ian Brennan (co-creator of Glee) as they try to create this year’s Zombieland but cooties instead.

The Movie focuses on three main characters as they try to battle the children of Fort Chicken after a cootie outbreak from diseased chicken nuggets. They are all within a school as this outbreak starts, and oddly enough struggling New York writer Clint (Elijah Wood) comes in to substitute teach this eventful day within Fort Chicken. Upon arriving at the school he runs into an old friend who is also teaching at the school, Lucy (Alison Pill) whom he used to date. With some odd chemistry developing, Lucy’s boyfriend, Wade (Rainn Wilson) gets annoyed and casually makes life for Clint slightly more unbearable. After lunch hour, the Cootie Apocalypse begins as Cooties starts to engage its audience in some raunchy, children killing everyone, horror comedy.

There is an opportunity in Cooties to deliver one of the most satisfying jokes in the film and it is unfortunately passed upon. When the educators learn that you cannot get cootified if you have hit puberty, the bad blood between Clint and Wade should have reached a new low as could have very easily been a well placed Hobbit joke there. However, the Film is still immensely funny even if it takes a while to pick up and get started. After all the cootie apocalypse is not one to forget.

The performances from the cast are what make Cooties absolutely ridiculous in a great way. Elijah Wood doesn’t channel his utmost comedic side certainly plays the almost hero well as he tries to get everyone together and protect one another against the invasion of cooties. However it is Rainn Wilson who steals the show as his hero, antagonist self who delivers the laughs and certainly brings the action as well in a great performance from everyone’s lovable dork from The Office.

eOne Films release Cooties in theatres and on VOD on Friday, September 18, 2015.