Looking for a distraction from the baking and cooking that needed to be done for Thanksgiving, I sat down to relax and watch the Full Moon feature The Gingerdead Man. If anything could inspire me to bake, it would have to be a killer reincarnated in a gingerbread man cookie, right?
Well, though I was disappointed that this wasn’t a more Christmas-y film (as the name implies) and it does have many flaws, I still found myself enjoying The Gingerdead Man.
After her father and brother are gunned down by heartless criminal Millard Findlemeyer (the inimitable Gary Busey), Sarah (Robin Sydney) testifies against him and he is sentenced to death. When he fries in the electric chair, he vows revenge on her, even if it means he has to come back from beyond the grave…
Sarah is working in her family’s bakery when she receives a strange package of gingerbread seasoning. She makes a large gingerbread man using the seasoning, not realizing she is bringing back the murderous Millard as a gingerbread man!
He seeks revenge on Sarah by stalking and killing her friends and family. Can Sarah stop him before he kills her? Revenge never tasted so sweet!
To answer your question, yes, this film is cheesy and ridiculous, but it is still entertaining! The biggest plot problem the film has is keeping the victims in the bakery, even though they are free to go get help whenever they please! But do they? Nope, they just sit around, even when a few people need medical attention, intent on stopping the malicious Millard themselves! It’s pretty unbelievable to think that they would just stay there when a frickin’ gingerbread man is stalking and killing them? I would be the first one out the door to try and find a phone to call the police! Despite this major problem, I was able to suspend my belief and just enjoy the film.
Despite the characters’ stupid decisions, they are still inherently likable. Sarah is a strong female lead and she has our full attention and sympathy from the beginning as she deals with her father and brother’s deaths as well as running the struggling family business. Actress Robin Sydney, who I just saw in Wicked Lake, really brings Sarah to life. Though she could have easily been a one-note character, Sydney makes her multi-dimensional and relatable. Busey is also fun to watch as the killer cookie and really hams it up as only he can. The rest of the cast is also impressive and there isn’t one bad actor in the bunch.
The special effects were a bit cheesy at times, especially the look of the gingerbread man, but overall they were decent. The film doesn’t have a lot of gore, but we do get a man sandwiched between a wall and a car, a knife through a head and someone getting baked to a crisp. So not really a lot of blood in the film, but what is shown works.
The Gingerdead Man is only a little over an hour long, but I think it could have been shorter if some unnecessary scenes were cut. Plus, it did get repetitive with the only location being the bakery. I also think it would have made a more lasting impression had the filmmakers utilized Christmas and the holidays into the storyline.
Despite its flaws, The Gingerdead Man is a fun flick that just might make you think twice about what’s in your cookies this holiday season!
Bon Appétit!
Available from Amazon!
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