The Italian 'Zombie' series began with Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2 (AKA Zombie Flesheaters), which was named to cash in on the success of Romero's Dawn of the Dead (released as Zombi in Italy), and after Fulci's flick proved a hit, several films laid claim to the 'Zombi 3' alias, including Bruno Mattei's Burial Ground (AKA Nights of Terror), Marino Girolami's Zombie Holocaust, and Fulci's own Zombie Flesheaters 2.
As for Zombie 4 (AKA Zombie Flesheaters 3, just to make matters even more confusing)... well, that was originally called 'After Death', but was given its new moniker in an attempt to broaden its appeal. Like Zombi 2, the film has a tropical island setting and packs in as much cheapo gore that the budget will allow, but although its new title might be deemed fitting, be warned: this one makes Fulci's films look like works of genius.
Director Claudio Fragasso opens his film with a hilariously trashy prologue which sees a little girl named Jenny narrowly escaping from a tropical island infested by zombies, which have been resurrected by a voodoo priest. Twenty years later, the now grown-up Jenny (Candice Daly) unwittingly returns to the island—along with another woman and four mercenaries—when the boat she is on experiences engine trouble, and once again finds herself fighting for survival against the undead, with a little help from her soldier of fortune pals, a couple of convenient M16 machine guns, and adult movie star Jeff Stryker (in a rare non-* performance).
This 'ho-hum' set up allows for the expected scenes of mouldy bodies rising from the ground (shallow graves proliferate the island), people repeatedly being grabbed through nearby windows (and walls!), and a couple of fairly gory deaths, all of which soon gets rather tedious; however, the awful acting and the fact that the numerous badly made-up, drooling, snaggle-toothed living dead can run, jump, speak, and even use guns, at least offers a few unintentional laughs. For this reason, the film might appeal to devotees of god-awful Euro trash, but everyone else should avoid like a zombie infested tropical island.
3.5 out of 10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.