The British import Severance is a combination of horror and comedy that doesn't turn out so well. Whereas movies like Slither and Tremors flourished due to their splicings of scares with snickers, Severance gets about half the job done. This is a movie that's almost afraid to tread in both genre waters at once, constantly landing the sort of easy punches which prevent it from being a classic of its kind.

Our story is a bare-bones one. A weapons manufacturer is sending out a handful of its office schlubs, from teacher's pet Gordon (Andy Nyman) to drug fiend Steve (Danny Dyer), into the middle of the Hungarian woods for a weekend of improving their teamwork skills. The "luxury lodge" promised to them turns out to be a dump, but underwhelming accommodations are about to become the least of their problems. Rumors circulate that the lodge used to be an asylum housing psychotic war criminals -- whispers which may be true after the team comes under attack, taken down one by one thanks to a barrage of bear traps, flamethrowers, and other forms of weaponry. With their numbers dwindling, those left standing have to put those corny team-building skills to the test in order to survive the onslaught that awaits them.

These days, one can't think of British horror without mentioning the hilarious Shaun of the Dead and how its humorous take on zombie movies resulted in a cult smash. The makers of Severance try a similarly droll approach to the slasher genre, but alas, the two sensibilities clash quite a bit, resulting in a fairly stiff cocktail. Zombie flicks tend to have a dark, depressing vibe about them, so Shaun's dry-as-sandpaper humor was a perfect fit. Slashers, on the other hand, have become over-the-top mockeries of themselves, each successive entry hell-bent on one-upping the last movie in terms of blood and gore. Another British spoof, Freak Out, embraced an over-the-top spirit that lampooned slasher flicks to gloriously goofy effect.

The problem with Severance, however, is that it keeps its attitude too buttoned up, occasionally indulging in some juvenile jokes and some brief bits of gallows humor. But most of the time, the film plays out either as a straight comedy or straight horror, with those shining moments when the two genres meet being too few and far between.

Severance could have benefitted from a better sense of direction. Still, as with his previous feature Creep, director Christopher Smith does a fine job of establishing atmosphere even though the script at hand is a bit wonky. Also, the back story behind the film's villains is refreshing and even a sort of realistic change of pace, although the full potential of the premise is never fully realized (not to mention the fact that the movie sort of dances with the "who's the killer?" angle ever so briefly).

Cast members are definitely more likable and entertaining than your usual group of slasher fodder. The highlights include Tim McInnerny as the group's put-upon boss and Nyman's terrific turn as an over-achieving employee with a seemingly bottomless bag of just the right tools the characters need (an aspect the movie itself even takes note of). Not much is done to preserve their personalities once the team is sent screaming into the woods, but the effort to have the audience actually sympathizing with these people is greatly appreciated.

While Severance may not achieve as much fame as Shaun of the Dead, it will probably collect a decent underground following. It's not mind-blowingly brilliant, but in a year that's given horror fans The Messengers and Captivity, a so-so horror movie is still better than the ugly alternative.

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Magnolia Pictures and rated "R" for strong bloody biolence, language, drug content, and some sexuality/nudity.)