Zombie Trifecta - Part 1

By Taryn Shick 

It is my belief that there is no greater creature, real or imagined, than the zombie. More misunderstood than Frankenstein’s monster, more sinister than a Werewolf and far creepier than any vampire, the zombie burrows deeper into the human psyche than all other monsters combined.

With the release of 28 Weeks Later, I thought this would be a good time to explore the legend of the zombie. I will do so with a review of the aforementioned film; a DVD review of another zombie film, Versus; and a book review of The Book of the Dead, The Complete History of Zombie Cinema. This is the first in the series.

28 Weeks Later

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau
Written by: Rowan Joffe, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Jesus Olmo, Enrique Lopez Lavigne
Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

28 Weeks Later is the sequel to 28 Days Later. Weeks picks up as indicated after Days, exploring the damage done to London after an outbreak of a Rage virus that leaves its victims in a zombie-like state. The difference is that these ‘zombies’ are much faster than average zombies.

We begin with a modestly revamped London that has managed to contain the virus with the aid of the U.S. military. The story then follows Tammy and Andy, a brother and sister, aged about 17 and 12 respectively, as they attempt to survive a second outbreak of the virus.

The film is highly disorienting. This is done with an absence of music, chaotic camera movements and close-ups and virtually non-stop peril. It seems to be an attempt to show the lack of control that such a situation could yield with particular regard to the inability of any military force to even do so. If this is so, it succeeds very well.

Although I respect the intent and the style of the film, I did not like it. I found it to be severely lacking in character development, especially with respect to its predecessor, 28 Days Later. There is no true central character and definitely no strong personalities. I was unable to relate to any one character and thus unable to care about any one character. This fact made it hard for me to care about the story; hence, my dislike of it.

As far as this film’s impact on the legacy of the zombie, I dismiss it. A viral infection does not a zombie make. But as with 28 Days Later, it still packs a decent punch of social subtext. I take it to be highlighting the ineptness of the military to control such a situation and its preference for the safety of the group over any individual rights.

 

Overall grade: C

Zombie grade: F