For one reason or another I was always lead to believe that 'The Gingerdead Man' was not a real movie, but some form of Internet based fan myth. Turns out this movie is in fact a genuine production and is everything you could possibly imagine from a movie about a reincarnated, serial killing gingerbread man, that is seeking vengeance on the people who sent him to the electric chair. Coming out under the 'Full Moon Features' distribution company name should tell you everything you need to know about this movie before going in.
This movie jarringly opens straight into the action as though it is well into the second act, giving little to no context to the characters onscreen or the situation they have found themselves in. This opening is so abrupt that I genuinely questioned whether on not I had accidentally skipped the movie forward 20 minutes when I started it. However, to 'The Gingerdead Mans' credit, this poorly executed setup unintentionally provides perfect insight into how the rest of the movie is likely to play out from here onwards.
The plot for this movie is absurd as its title. Blending elements of 'Child's Play', 'Frankenstein' and 'The Great British Bake Off' to culminate in one of the most ludicrous killer object movies I've ever seen. Due to the overall poor writing from William Butler and Domonic Muir, you will likely find yourself spending more time trying to piece any form of narrative together than anything else. And, for what wafer thin plot points and character development you manage to scramble together, will most likely still have you scratching you head long after the credits begin to roll.
The cast, as to be expected, consists of a collection of mediocre at best performances and some of the most stereotypically written characters I have ever witnessed, to the point where it is borderline offensive. Robin Sydney is the lead protagonist and spends the majority of the movie as though she is reading directly from an auto cue. The biggest name attached to this project is Gary Busey, who gets a total of 3 minutes screen time in the opening act and then spends the remaining time trying to imitate Brad Dourif's iconic performance and Chucky from the 'Child's Play' movies. In fairness to Busey, its clear he is here just to get paid and his performance reflects that.
Along with the script (something that I can only assume was written on a napkin), general physics goes completely out of the window when it comes to the gingerdead man's gravity defying placement and overall point of situe when it comes to his ability to take out a fully grown adult person. And although this level of stupidity and logic makes for some hilarious scenes, it did cause me to spend more time questioning the intelligence of the director Charles Band than actually engrossed in the movie itself.
Overall, 'The Gingerdead Man' is a movie I'm certainly glad to say I've ticked off the list but I will likely never rewatch this movie, nor go further down the rabbit hole of the expansive sequels and spin-offs that follow it. For what it is, it's a lot of fun for all of the wrong reasons and is certainly an experience I feel all lovers of B-movie horror should go through at least once. But to consider this a genuine recommendation is a burden I am not willing to bear.
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