28 Weeks Later
May 2nd 2007 23:29
The premise is vaguely zombie-like: in 28 Days Later, an infectious virus is responsible for turning the UK into a wasteland, with the Infected consumed with murderous rage. The virus is easily spread by bodily fluids, and the onset of the infection happens within seconds.
28 Weeks Later starts, as you'd expect, 28 weeks after the initial outbreak, when all the Infected have died due to starvation and Britain is now disease-free. The US Military is moving in to reconstruct the island and have started to bring civilians in as well.
The original movie was directed by Danny Boyle, UK director-supreme... he served as executive producer on this film, which was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who tries to mimic Boyle's bleak, drab UK-style to give the same sense of futility and desperation.
Within minutes of the film opening, we are treated/subjected to one of the most gripping, heartwrenching sequences to have graced a horror film, including the wicked opening of the Dawn of the Dead remake. Robert Carlyle plays an incredible role as a survivor who manages to outlast the Infection, but at the cost of his wife and safety.
Without spoiling the plot, I must say that there's a little bit of Begbie in Carlyle's role, and it's dangerously savage.
Comparisons to the original film are inevitable... while 28 Weeks Later captures much of the same rampant energy, the vicious, snarling packs of rabid Infected, the bloody room, the overall sense of dread, there's something missing that the first film did well. In a tip to Romero, the first film explored the behaviour of people in an apocalyptic world, showing that we are the biggest threat to ourselves.
28 Weeks Later touches on these themes, but butchers it with predictability and cliche. The kind-hearted soldier, the naughty children. The obvious cruelty of the military.
Additionally, Fresnadillo relies too often on the obvious method of horror movie scares: an eerie moment of silence before a loud, explosive noise. Eh. They're easy to pick out before they happen, which makes them less effective.
Nevertheless, it's a wild, gripping film, and it spins out of control so fast that you'll be tense. Really tense. So tense that you'll have to eat a big chocolate sundae to settle your nerves.
If there's one thing about Boyle's vision is that it lends itself perfectly to a graphic novel adaptation (which they've made)... he's created a scenario that writes its own sequels, which is why we'll probably see 28 Months Later (even 28 Years Later?).
28 Weeks Later is a sweet-ass throw back into the zombie genre, but without the religious sentiments. It's blood-splattered, machine-gun ridden and gives you absolutely no sense of hope for the human race in the face of disaster. Through the film, we are faced with our own cowardice and the desire to flee. A terrible movie to watch before bed, unless you relish the idea of nightmares.
I say: One to raise your adrenaline. I watched it with a friend and she was terrified after, saying it was 'the scariest zombie movie that she's ever seen'.
See it for: There seems to be some comment on the arrogance and perceived omnipotence of the US Military, as they come in and assume that they'll take care of it. Naturally, it all goes to hell.
* this image is from the IMDb page on the film
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Great review by the way Cib.
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Sunshine looked sensational. But it too became silly in the second half ... pity.
Something is wrong in the screenplay mind of Alex Garland.
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(...and I'm not sure why. I own a copy and play that scene where they take over the abandoned mall whenever I'm depressed, and it cheers me up.)
Parenthetically, you can watch NIght of the LIving Dead for free on the Internet nowadays.
Comment by Cibbuano
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damo, parts of it are excellent, naturally.
bryn, she doesn't go for gore and romero-type movies, but she was terrified from this one. I didn't find it scary, though.
Got the Vice invite because I'm a subscriber!!
I don't know what's up with the email subscription thing...
ahmed, yeah, I like the slow zombies, too. Scarier in a way...
jon, if you're a fan of 28 days, you might end up loving this one.
JD, if you DIDN'T like 28 days, you're probably going to find this one wearing you a bit thin. I'm anticipating that you won't like this one.
sarah, a great rental - especially at night on the big screen.
zen, I, too, find the mall sequences in Dawn of the Dead to be hilarious!
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thanks for the excellent review..
I really want to see it, cause I love Sci-fi movies...but I think I'll wait now and just get the DVD when it comes out...
I found Dawn of the Dead to be funny as hell even though other people I was with were screaming and shit lolol
Maybe it's just me??? LOL
Great post as always!
Take care,
Nick
Comment by yoda76
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Unless the trailer is misleading. Wouldn't be the first time.
There was something... i don't know.... genuine about 28 days later - this one just looks like they've turned it into a traditional zombie flick.... ho-hum...
I'll give it a shot, but I'm really expecting a pale imitation on the first fiml, but with bigger special FX...
Am I wrong?
Comment by chrisaaron
(And the arrogance of the US Military was already covered in 1985's Day of the Dead so 28 Weeks doesn't get brownie points for that!)
People are giving the movie credit for themes and social commentary that are already well-established in the zombie genre. They obviously aren't familiar with zombie movies at all. Take those common themes away from 28 Weeks Later and what do you have? A movie that rarely made sense, was horribly directed, and had acting so bad you rooted for the zombies to kill everyone.
And don't forget ending... or wait... there wasn't one! You'll to have to wait another year or two for the next movie for any sort of closure. Unless of course 28 Decades Later is greenlit...
Comment by Ahmed
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Yes, you're absoloutely right, assuming you are right about the movies commentary perhaps you should also try looking up 'metaphor' in the dictionary.
Well given in Independance Day they managed to destroy an advanced alien civilization with a simple computer virus I think this kind of evens it out. Once again, it's just a movie.
I wasn't actually alive in 1985 so that doesn't apply to me, should I just say 'nah this movie sucked because it borrowed themes from a movie made in 1985'?
Whats a car without wheels? It sure isn't going to be very useful, so ar eyou going to argue a beat up old ford is better than a ferrari without wheels? sure it's true, but how about we play fair and judge both with their wheels on. What you're saying is 'this movie would have sucked if it didn't involve what zombie movies usually involve, which is to say zombies'.
ah! so you're just scared because the movie didn't end, you didn't recieve any sort of closure on it and now you just stay up at bed all night long scared of the big bad zombies.
Comment by chrisaaron
Zombie films are generally set in the present day of when they are released and are designed to show how well our society reacts to an apocalyptic situation. There was nothing in this film nor 28 Days Later alluding to this being a completely fantasy-based world. All we, as the audience, is expected to believe is that such a rage virus could ever exist. From there we witness the devastating consequences this has on the UK as we know it.
By your account any fiction movie does need to make sense. That's ridiculous. Yes they're "just movies" - but if you expect them to appeal to more than idiot 13-year-olds than the plot needs to be remotely plausible. You can have a fantasy-based movie with things that don't make sense. All this just needs to be explained in one form or another at some point and actually adhered to. Romero went to great lengths to establish the rules for Living Dead in his movies which is why they're never slammed for having the gaping holes in the plot that movies like 28 Weeks Later are criticized for.
If you're not familiar with Romero's Living Dead series than you're not very qualified to discuss zombies in the least. I mean, I wasn't alive in 1985 either. But It doesn't make 28 Weeks Later a bad movie because it borrows themes from his films - ALL "zombie" films borrow from him. It's just that 28 Weeks Later doesn't deserve credit for the themes it stole.
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Understand that people have differing opinions, especially when it comes to such things as what movies you might or might not like, you cant just tell someone to dislike a movie which is at the end of the day what I'm trying to get across to you.
Comment by chrisaaron
(and I don't even know your age!)
I gave my own opinion of the movie (which according to you people actually are allowed to have unless they're me) which was that ludicrous plot and terrible acting kept me from enjoying the film. Then you attacked my opinion (because I'm not allowed to have one). Then I defended myself. Then you attacked my character thinking that somehow makes your point more valid. It's childish and it doesn't.
Nobody is stopping you from enjoying the movie (try as the makers of 28 Weeks Later might!). All I did was give an opinion and explained my reasoning.
Comment by Ahmed
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I have nothing against your opinion, but what you said was ipmlying your opinion was magically better than everyone elses.
Comment by chrisaaron
The fact is that you're not familiar with Romero's movies so how in the world could you ever attack me for stating that 28 Weeks later stole for him? You wouldn't know one way or the either!
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Comment by chrisaaron
Forming an opinion about something by default means you reject others' opinions on the same topic. But I never explicitly stated that my opinion was superior to anyone else's. You came to that conclusion on your own having read what I had written. I must've been pretty damn convincing for you to perceive that at all. You can't tell people your opinion is better than other person's - they have to believe it themselves.
For future reference, try proving your point by staying on topic. Trying to smear me by saying that I'm "claim(ing) superiority over anyone else who think differently" doesn't prove that 28 Weeks Later is a good movie or that it deserves credit for themes it lifted from other films in the genre.
Also, if you don't care - don't reply.
Comment by Ahmed
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I'm sorry but that is quite telling that you're taking this a little too much to heart, though I did give you teh benefit of the doubt by replying and...
Do I need to look any further? You made a mistake, you overreacted.
Comment by chrisaaron
The bottom line, as I stated before, is you're attacking my opinion on the basis of something you know nothing about. You admitted that you haven't seen the Living Dead series so why do you care if the 28 Weeks Later stole from it or not?
If you wanted to argue that the movie didn't steal from Romero, that'd be one thing. But you've clearly stated that you don't care - so stop replying. I do care and don't think the movie should get credit for it in reviews - the whole reason why I even commented on the movie in the first place!
So stop reply if you don't care. This isn't a message board.
Comment by Ahmed
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From the rest of your comment it is painfully obvious you don't understand the concept of diverse opinions, you're contradicting yourself continuosly, one moment it's 'I'm not trying to belittle others opinions' the next it's 'everyones wrong for liking this movie'.
A correct way of putting it would be 'whle everyone liked the movie for such and such reasons I actually disliked it for such and such reasons', what you're implying is everyone is wrong to like it for their own reasons and that you must be ultimately right for everything.
But whatever.
Comment by chrisaaron
Someone who hasn't discussed the movie the whose review he's commenting on, doesn't think movies need to remotely make sense, misquotes people for the sake of argument, and thinks opinions that differ from his are smug.
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Comment by Anonymous
28 weeks later is a good movie regardless of what it has stolen from other movies and if you go to a movie like 28 weeks later u shouldnt expect incredible acting or an in depth plot because in the end all the normal people came to see it for was the horrible, bloody,gruesome deaths and to show off to our friends that we saw it before them
Comment by yoda76
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My point exactly - 28 Days Later was much more than that without even trying to be.