History YMMV / Zombi2

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Creator/RichardJohnson was embarrassed about appearing in this film. But being the consummate professional that he was, he gave it his all and it shows. The world-weariness, the good intentions, Johnson manages to turn the role of a MadScientist into a tragic, well-intentioned scientist trying to solve the problem instead of exacerbating it.
* VindicatedByHistory: Upon its release it was labeled a video nasty and critics weren't too impressed. Even the Italian critics felt it was below par. However, once Website/YouTube began clips featuring the [[SignatureScene now-famous]] [[CoolVsAwesome Shark vs. Zombie]] and the [[EyeScream eye gouging]] scenes they racked up views in the millions. Couple that with some newer reviews from online film critics and people were actively seeking out the film in droves. Nowadays, it's considered up there with other great zombie films like Creator/GeorgeARomero's original ''[[Film/LivingDeadSeries Living Dead]]'' film trilogy. Hell, most will likely be offended nowadays to ''not'' see this film on "Best Horror Movies"/"Best Zombie Movies" lists.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a low-budget '70s horror film, the makeup and gore effects are ''very'' realistic. Arguably some of the most impressive makeup work in the history of exploitation cinema. Seriously, when you've seen ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'', which had ground breaking effects for the time, compared to this ''one'' the zombies are much better and scarier. Couple this with how even the effects crew thought they'd do a bad job with this film. Additionally, there is no substitute in any film for the sight of a stuntman in zombie makeup brawling with an ''actual'' shark underwater.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Richard Johnson was embarrassed about appearing in this film. But being the consummate professional that he was, he gave it his all and it shows. The world-weariness, the good intentions, Johnson manages to turn the role of a MadScientist into a tragic, well-intentioned scientist trying to solve the problem instead of exacerbating it.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Imagine being shunned by much of the movie making business and laughed at. Many people, actors and crew, experienced this. It wasn't until a Con invited the film's crew to America did they realize just how much people loved the film. They truly felt honored to have a devoted fanbase and were so happy to see people enjoy it. They were even moved to tears once people began to thank them for the film.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: Richard Johnson was embarrassed about appearing in this film. But being the consummate professional that he was, he gave it his all and it shows. The world-weariness, the good intentions, Johnson manages to turn the role of a mad scientist into a tragic, well-intentioned scientist trying to solve the problem instead of exacerbating it.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: On a meta scale. Imagine being shunned by much of the movie making business and laughed at. Many people, actors and crew, experienced this. It wasn't until a Con invited them to America did they realize just how much people loved the film. They truly felt honored to have a devoted fanbase and were so happy to see people enjoy it. They were even moved to tears once people began to thank them for the film. They love their fans as much as the fans love them.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: While the makeup effects have held up remarkably over the years, there are some close-ups of the zombies where blood and makeup don't look natural enough (i.e. looks too much like either paint or regular makeup) to be realistic.

* CreepyAwesome: This movie has some of the most disgustingly graphic zombies in all film...but damn if they don't look realistic as hell. Unlike a lot of movie zombies in the pre-CGI era, these ones genuinely look ''decayed'' and rotting, covered in dirt and (in one memorable case) with worms coming out of their eyes.

* FightSceneFailure: One scene near the end of the hospital shootout involves the characters whacking several zombies in the head with their guns. However, some of the zombies react a little too slowly to the impact.

* SignatureScene: It's split between the eye gouge scene and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOSN2s8FY8Q shark-wrestling]] scene.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: While the makeup effects have held up remarkably over the years, there are some close-ups of the zombies where it's easy to tell that the blood and open wounds are just, well, makeup.

* SignatureScene: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOSN2s8FY8Q shark-wrestling]] scene.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Fabio Frizzi's ice-cold electronic score perfectly captures the feeling of hopelessness and despair felt by the characters in the face of the coming ZombieApocalypse. Especially with the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrrwonL5UVU main theme]]. [[note]]Which is actually a remix of Frizzi's theme from ''Film/{{Cozzilla}}''.[[/note]]

* VindicatedByHistory: Upon its release it was labeled a video nasty and critics weren't too impressed. Even the Italian critics felt it was below par. However, once Website/YouTube began clips featuring the [[SignatureScene now-famous]] [[CoolVsAwesome Shark vs. Zombie]] and the [[EyeScream eye gouging]] scenes they racked up views in the millions. Couple that with some newer reviews from online film critics and people were actively seeking out the film in droves. Nowadays, it's considered up there with other great zombie films like Romero's original film trilogy. Hell, most will likely be offended nowadays to ''not'' see this film on "Best Horror Movies"/"Best Zombie Movies" lists.

* HolyShitQuotient:
** The special effects. Seriously, when you've seen ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'', which had ground breaking effects for the time, compared to this ''one'' the zombies are much better and scarier. Couple this with how even the effects crew thought they'd do a bad job with this film.
** There is no substitute in any film for the sight of a stuntman in zombie makeup brawling with an ''actual'' shark underwater.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: For a low-budget '70s horror film, the makeup and gore effects are ''very'' realistic. Arguably some of the most impressive makeup work in the history of exploitation cinema.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The makeup and gore effects are ''very'' realistic, especially for a 70s' horror film. Arguably some of the most impressive makeup work in the history of exploitation cinema.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The makeup and gore effects are ''very'' realistic, being arguably some of the most impressive makeup work in the history of exploitation cinema.

** The acting ranges from stiff to over-the-top, which can make some of the more legitimately serious scenes into this (combined with rather gratuitous closeups and jump cuts).

** "Ol' Worm Eye," one of the most famous zombies in movie history.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film has a noticeable "low-budget" feel to it, but the makeup and gore effects are ''very'' realistic, being arguably some of the most impressive makeup work in the history of exploitation cinema.