28 Weeks Later

MAY 9, 2007

GENRE: ZOMBIE
SOURCE: THEATRICAL (PRESS SCREENING)

Today was an odd day. I honestly thought the highlight would be mocking 28 Weeks Later. I didn’t care for the original at all, due to the DV footage. If you recall a few reviews back, I pointed out that DV footage was, quote, “Satan’s Photography” (I did not say that at all). Also I hated the last half hour or so when they decided that, even though they “weren’t a zombie movie”, that they would steal entire scenes from Day of the Dead. Fuck you, 28 Days Later.

So needless to say a sequel wasn’t really something I looked forward to, but I DO enjoy mocking shitty movies, so I was counting on the screening to be the best part of my day.

But leave it to Bruce Willis to take that away from me.

In a turn of events that is in no way coherent, but at the same time makes perfect sense, I helped prove Bruce Willis was engaging in “talkback” on Aintitcoolnews, and even chatted with this god amongst men for a few minutes on AIM. Of course, for those unfamiliar, talkback is the name given to posting your thoughts on something after reading an accompanying article on the internet, something that would occur here a lot more often if I had more than 8 readers (and here I’d like to give a shoutout to Chris at Short Film Texas for being the lone man to regularly partake in this activity). Anyway, you can read the story here. It’s good stuff. Except for when Willis slams on Michael Bay. That is uncalled for. That man is a saint.

But then, to make matters worse, 28 Weeks Later was GOOD! What the hell? I talk to my idol and then see a good movie? Can’t a guy get a break?

Yeah apparently, director/co-writer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo decided to improve on everything that was wrong in the original, while adding his own flair. What a dick, huh? How dare he make a sequel that for once almost validates an inferior original.

This movie is pretty goddamn great, in fact. The characters are likeable, the action is ramped up, the music is amazing, and most importantly, someone took the extra 2 minutes it takes to load a real camera instead of popping in a 60 min tape in order to make a film that doesn’t look like total bullshit. Along with the always welcome Catherine McCormack, we have additional eye candy in Rose Byrne, who is cute as hell, except for when she is bludgeoned to death near the end (at least, I assume she’s not cute then. I missed that part due to not being able to hold off urinating any longer, damn me). Robert Carlyle is great as always, though there is a strange bit where he plays his zombie (fuck you, they are zombies) more like Michael Myers, appearing in the background, watching our heroes, and then disappearing when the character goes for a better look. Uh, “rage”, sir? Luckily it’s a one time offense (and for all I know it was meant to be a hallucination). Also along for the ride is Harold “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLT!!!!!!” Perrineau, playing basically the same guy he played in the Matrix sequels, only with better hair.

The kid who plays the kid is named Mackintosh Muggleton in real life. Isn’t that the most Harry Potter-y name in history? I half-expected him to start eating rage flavored Bernie Botts beans. He shares cinema’s closest brother-sister relationship ever seen outside of those weird pornos, with a girl named Imogen Poots.

Speaking of which: Muggleton, Poots, Fresnadillo, Perrineau… can we get a Smith or a Jones in here, please? The credits list looks like the world’s most complicated Jumble.

The Reaping’s Idris Elba is also around, playing a general of some sort who just disappears from the movie after an hour or so. Apparently some of the film was re-shot (surprisingly, unlike many films, this was seemingly for the better) so perhaps his fate didn’t fit with new material, but it was still puzzling. I like that guy.

I really hope all 8 of you go check this out this weekend. I for one am sick of seeing R rated horror films tanking week after week. And unlike almost all of those others (Wind Chill, Hills Have Eyes 2, The Reaping) this one is actually worth your 10-14 bucks. And it’s because of the failure of these R rated films that Live Free or Die Hard is rated PG-13, which is exactly the reason Bruce Willis came online to talk to people like me. So, uh… I really have no point here, I guess.

Look, just go see the fucking movie.

What say you?