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zombievictim

28 Days Later...

directed by DANNY BOYLE

Plot
One confused naked man wakes up in a hospital in post-apocaliptic London. He meets a series of charatcers and they explain the nature of the disaster, a deadly beeyatch of a virus that spreads like bad celebrity gossip.

Review
One of the bigger disappointments of the year taught me one thing: never, EVER enter the movie theater with a 10/10 expectative because of potential letdown. This doesn't mean I hated the movie, but it DID dissapoint me, in a big way. I want to start mentioning that I had all the reason in the world to expect a lot from this movie, I love post-apocaliptic scenario movies and I adore Danny Boyle's directing, he has talent.
 
This movie almost plays down in three totally different parts, and that's not a good thing if not executed correctly, for instance, the three parts in the movie (I: City. II: Roadtrip. and III: Military base.) are way too contrasting and feel totally independent, let me expand. The first fifteen minutes of the movie psyched me, like really thrilled me (how they shot an empty London I have no idea but good job), I felt sad for Jim, poor man and the scene in the church like place is terrifying! The pace started to slow a little after the characters Selena and Mark machete their way into the story. It slows a little the pace but worry not, It will pick up eventually.

After the quick disposing of someone, I was like "Character a little useless but ok...", since it felt like an excuse to quench bloodthirst, but that's always forgiveable. Then, we meet more characters (Daddy and daughter) in another thrilling zombie chase 'n kill, a little scarier than last. The pace once again slows down. The following becomes another different movie with less thrilling zombie encounters for a long time (like until the end of the movie is nigh) since the following zombie appereances are the same thing as the last (the tunnel one was also very 'egh' especially when you think how little it brought to the story).

So you might have concluded that what made this movie a letdown was essencially the script after one hour I was starting to think that this plot was taking me nowhere and some things also needed axing (Jim's dream sequence) and the final ending (I hear there's like 4 alternative endings) was a little vague for my taste. The third bit in the military base was the worst for me, it felt a little out of place. Not that's not good (the scariest moment [zombie in window] happens here and it freezed my blood) but I'm sure Boyle could have pulled it off without using such a big setting and tone change.

The characters (the important ones and with exceptions of most soldiers) are very well done and written, I liked almost everyone but was it me or did they seem a little too tranquil to the situation (the scene in the grocery shop) and also pull some dumb moves (you do not put your daughter to drive like that) but I mostly cared for them, that's points in favor. But the props must be given to the actors, not one single player here did wrong. Well done.

Danny Boyle does what he does best and I won't put a single 'but'. He knows how to work visual feasts and that's a fact. Every frame was filled with subtle touches of lens and lightning tricks that make it look appropiate, also, the cameras move like the birds and the shots from above are amazing. The other tricks like slow, frame freeze, etc, work marvels for the story.

Gore
Some violent machetings (if that's a word), blood vomiting, nasty cuts, nasty zombies. Enough.

Overall
The script was the main and fatal problem but the acting, directing and score kept me up and running the entire time.

X-nightcrawler - 7/10
zombievictim - 9/10

review by Leon Sakau