Yes its true. Zombie movies are popular again. Not that I ever lost interest. Zombie movies are my preferred sub-genre of horror. Ever since I was young the Zombie movies were my favourites, and they have kept me entertained ever since. I think the great difference with the Zombie movie is the level of humour that seems to just work in them. No matter how serious the situation the humourous tone is often apparent. And very noticable in such titles as Evil Dead II, Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead ’78 and not to mention the anticipated Shaun of the Dead rom-zom-com, released later this year.
But with that bit of background about my theatrical tastes we move on to the zombie-related movie in question. Danny Boyle’s Brit horror, 28 Days Later. No, not a sequel to that lame Sandra Bullock movie but a post apocalyptic London overrun by infected human beings. You may have noticed that I refer to this as zombie-related. Well, this is because I really don’t know whether it can be classed as a Zombie movie. There are a load of braindead people wandering the streets of London but no more than on a usual Saturday night at closing time.
The story then…Jim, our lead, wakes up from a coma to find the hospital and the rest of London deserted. An apparent blood-borne virus has been released from a research facility and swept across England. And now England has been quarantined. Aided by other uninfected persons Selena, Frank and his daughter Hannah, Jim and his new friends decide to travel up to Manchester to find refuge where the uninfected are gathering.
I’m a huge fan of Danny Boyle’s work and this seems such a departure for him. But with his undeniable talent he has created a little gem of a movie here. Its a highly enjoyable romp from beginning to end. To look at, its great. And as with all Danny’s previous works the soundtrack and original score is spot-on.
The astounding visuals used in this movie are incredible, especially for those familiar with the usual hustle and bustle of down town London. Placed at the beginning of the movie it serves a strong holding visual treat to grab the audience by the ears and slam their face to the screen. Kudos to the incredibly patient local councils and police for letting it happen.
There are the occasional nods to previous Romero work which is a nice thing I think, but this film is in no way a rip-off or even really a homage to any of the Living Dead franchise. Its a complete fresh approach to a Zombie movie, so much so that it almost is unrecognisable as one. It’s a style that I’d like to probably see more of.
OVERALL SUMMARY
The scares are decent and the shocks are there too. 28 Days Later carries off a unique approach to the sub-genre and again solidifies the talent of director Danny Boyle. A sequel would be a shame, a prequel would be a disaster. And to see London in such a post apocalyptic manner was both astounding and commendable. Good job all round.
