I read reviews for this film on a few different horror sites, and they apparently love everything about this movie, except for the ending. I read Ebert's review, where he praises the film but twice mentions that the ending sucked. Is there anyone else who hates the ending? I personally thought it was one of the best things about the film.
sharethe endings great but it does cut everything short, i always feel theres more story to be told
shareThe first time I watched this film, I was on the edge of my seat dying to know how they where going to get out of this mess, and then all of a sudden, BOOM, it's over. I was not impressed with the way it ended. I was so disappointed with the ending, that I didn't even notice the toxin's had risen into the air and created another super toxin cloud, or the army guy saying "only reports of skin burning"
Watching it now, I know how it ends, been disappointed once, but what can you do about it? It's an ending to a good b-grade film. You just have to except it for what it is, and know that no one is going to change it... officially.
Now from reading a couple of previous posts, does my DVD have the right ending? It didn't come with an alternate one. The ending I have is they call the number on the barrel, the major or whoever jots a few things down, a code is given to a black army guy, and he launches a nuke at the spot. A few still cuts appear and kaboom.. then the army conversation is about the reports of skin burning and a few shots from previous scenes as said before.
Is that the same as the theatrical ending, or is there other endings? That youtube video is no longer online, so I'm curious to know whats what now and if I should seek out a version with another ending or what not.
What you describe is the brilliant, perfect ending.
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I didn't like the ending when I first saw it for the same reason as the other guy, you're into the movie, the movie is great, they call the number....then bam, the movie is over. It comes out of nowhere.
Now, I like the ending. Once the surprise/disappointment wasn't a factor I could appreciate it for what it was.
I disliked the ending to Monty Python's Holy Grail for the same reason when I first saw it. You're into this great movie, loving it, it's building...building....then bam, it's over.
Anyway, ROTLD is one of my favorite movies, there are few movies out there as funny.
I love the ending.
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In my opinion in nearly 30 years I still believe Dan O'bannon was a brave visionary to make the ending the way he did. Roger Ebert praised this film but failed to realised it had a message that the director went against the grain that nobody gets out clean purposely. All the hero characters ( Spider, Chuck, Burt and Ernie ) fought the good fight but had to die by way of instant means to make a bold statement. The real villain of the film was the US government. As to what reason Burt kept the eggs in the basement for 14 years was his own. I'm sure if he would had contacted the army his fate would had been equally tragic as Col. Glover and his posse would had done anything contain the truth. I cant say that about ROTLD 2..this film is its own.. Dan O'bannon created as to what many would call a comedy but the last 5 minutes of this masterpiece is straight horrific and gut punching.. love this film.
shareI guess my problem with the ending is that everyone just dies. No survivors. Yes it's a zombie film but it would have been nice if at least Tina made it out alive. Or Burt.
-Di
I can understand but whe I was 10 years of age I took this film as a comedy up to the nuke sceen, thats what put the hook in me. I actually felt depressed for a few days after. The drills we had in school in the event of a nuclear attack made it all more frightening. The characters I adore, the most unlikely people locked in a last stand defending each other. Spider and Burt would cross the street to avoid each other in realism, though here they bond in the same quest. The film plays just as a script in a sitcom until the ending dupes you. That was the impact to me atleast. Tina was the most unlikely person to be mixed up with the gang and was tormented the most. The shattered innocence of Freddy chasing her till certain doom was another sadistic element. Return part 2, was the feel good ending. It plays homage to the origional in some strange way. The origional is the only one I recognise in the entirseries. I could never convince anyone else to appreciate it as much as I do. Still ranks one of my favorite films.
shareI just love the ending in every way. It end where it started, with another military *beep* :)
I am biased though because I absolutely adore the movie, from scenery, characters, music and script.
It is seens to me that ending wasnt too good because Eventhoug Back in 60s army predict it would be catastrophic to burn Bodies but They didnt make their plans according to that.What i am saying is just little more sence.
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Even if you don't mind the recycled footage, it looks just cheap and rushed enough to give horror/sci-fi fans the idea that it was done to replace some other ending unjustly hidden from us. Even for those who've seen the workprint ending but don't like it any better than this (it's a lateral move, IMHO), the subconscious idea exists that the "real/awesome/forbidden" ending is "out there, somewhere..." (if only in a mythical lost draft of the screenplay), unfairly making this the "bad" ending in many people's minds. It's just fan psychology. That's my theory anyway.
Also, it might partly be hindsight bias from fans who like ROTLD2 better, since it doesn't neatly pave the way for the sequel. But since this movie leaves you wondering how the hell the "real" events behind NOTLD were hushed up if the zombies were this unstoppable the last time out, that's actually thematically appropriate.
"Oh, I am going to smack you SO HARD if this works, movie!" -Crow T. Robot
A person would have to be completely insane, completely tasteless, or both, to like ROTLD2 better. Vastly inferior movie in every way.
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at the time the movie was made, we were still adjusting to 'downer endings' and some of the people had an issue with that...the abruptness of the military's 'answer' to the zombie problem was a shock too, kind of like the monty python comparison earlier. the voiceovers and the stirring dead visuals indicating that the problem isn't resolved, the movie is only over per se because we've reached the end of the story for the characters we followed, this brought it to full resolution, but one that audiences were still transitioning to accept.
people who are used to movies now who watch return probably wouldn't react much to it, but at the time it was still a jarring and somewhat shocking ending.
I like it, it fits everything the story required, but i do remember how unnerving it was when i saw it at the time.