28 Weeks Later
The problem with horror sequels is that they never live up to their prequel in terms of originality, plot or acting and most first horror films don't even have any of those three to begin with.28 Days Later elevated itself above the genre and helped push through similar movies into the mainstream and now we are saturated with piss-poor follow-through's and god-forsaken remakes.
28 Weeks Later could have explored many avenues in post-apocalyptic Britain in the aftermath of zombie-infested cities such as survivors and their day-to-day fear and after-affects of such huge devastation which could have allowed for the odd "zombie-still-alive-here" scene or two and perhaps pit them against Mad-Max style road groups scavenging the countryside.
Instead the film opts for the easiest option imaginable. Let's spin forward 6 months later and have another outbreak.
What you have is essentially the same movie as before only with different actors acting badly, a different location and the same old sh*t hitting the fan. But we'll throw in a weakly disguised twist to pretend we're doing something new.
28 Days Later is an appalling, ramshackle mess masquerading as a tough new sequel but is actually the film studio dipping its toe in the water for releasing a juggernaut movie franchise purely for making money.
I expected so much more from this film but was so very disappointed. If I wasn't stuck in the middle of an aisle I would have walked out like others in the theatre.
Avoid this movie like the plague.
I would give this film 2.8 savage bites to the neck out of 10
Labels: Film
posted by Phil @ 6:22 pm
2 Comments:
And in stark contrast, I really liked this. Okay, some of it was totally unrealistic (well, even more unrealistic than the original premise) and a few scenes were way too gory for me, but it was mindless fun and just what I would look for in a zombie movie. Oh well, each to their own!
I agree with both Jenny and Phil in many respects.
Phil I think your expectations for this film were too high. 28 Days Later was a classic and you somehow hoped that a different director, Americanised plot (for the US audience I assume) and a list of new actors was somehow going to make this something other than an cash-in action movie.
It was never going to be anything more than, as Jen described, a mindless fun zombie movie. There was over-the-top action and some very gorey scenes, but I was expecting this from both the original and the sequel, which I guess is what made the original so much more - it had an actual plot that was new and an inventive twist to the otherwise overhyped zombie genre.
If you are looking for a high-budget B-movie then 28 Weeks Later really delivers. If you're looking for the next big breakthrough in zombie movies then you've got a wait on your hands, cause it took three decades from Romero's <insert time of day> Of The Dead films to 28 Days Later.
I would give this an average 5 infected out of 10 - it'll fill a night as well as any other mindless action movie, but Phil is right about the money-making side of this. Plot and character development have been replaced with explosions and box-office greed to make a quick buck. Unlike it's predecessor, this film is condemned to the B-movie section of Saturday night action movies.
Post a Comment
<< Home