* * ½

(Not your average

horror movie)

While not fans of horror movies, “The Lazarus Effect” at least gives us a different approach to the genre and at times actually tackles the science vs. religion question.

Five people are involved in a project at a university lab that strays from the original intent of the grant they are working under. Working on a serum that could prolong life in an operating room, allowing doctors time to resuscitate before there is brain damage, the researchers get carried away, aiming to bring people back from the dead. They are encouraged when the serum is successful in reviving a dead dog, until the dog starts doing some very strange things.

When a pharmaceutical company pulls their grant and confiscates all of their findings, they have only one night to try again and record their discoveries. Something goes terribly wrong and a major character is electrocuted.

What to do? Why, bring her back from the dead, of course.

The operation is successful, but the victim turns into a monster and the movie goes quickly down the toilet until, like 99 percent of these movies, the group is killed off one by one. Well, at least they didn’t go down in the basement or run into the woods.

Surprisingly, the acting is pretty good. And there are a couple of scenes that will make you jump.

The discussion of life after death is interesting, and the hour and 20 minutes don’t drag, but the conclusion is ridiculous.

Rated PG-13 with some violence and scary scenes.