28 Weeks Later

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Starring Robert Carlisle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner.


Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo





I'm probably in the minority but I found 28 Days Later to be overrated. The sequel is slightly better but that's not really saying much. It's a strangely soulless, moribund and empty affair. Entertaining but instantly forgettable. Maybe us Brits just can't do this stuff as well as the Americans. Face it, we just ain't fit to lace George Romero's boots.
As an average horror outing it cuts the mustard though. You get breakneck pace, real scares that make you jump out your seat and some really spectacular carnage! It also becomes clear that no-one in this movie is safe. Every character is fair game and potential zombie food. It's also refreshing to have a central protagonist who is clearly a coward. Wife getting attacked by zombies? Fuck her. I can always find another one.
By adding grand special effects and telling this story on a wider scale than the original movie (with bonus Iraq analogies) the director has sacrificed character development so it's pretty hard to give a shit about any of the people struggling to survive. You leave the cinema with a weird feeling you've just been watching a videogame.

Verdict:
It passes the time but Romero won't be losing any sleep.

Rating
***


28 Weeks Later at the IMDB