8 February 2013
Directed By: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Dave Franco, John Malkovich, Rob Corddry
What’s It About: A zombie finds his heart after saving a girl from an attack.
Rated PG-13 (for zombie violence and some language)
Runtime: 97 minutes
By Shelby Clemons, Staff Writer
You would think that a post-apocalyptic movie about zombies versus humans is an outdone movie plot, but Warm Bodies is not at all a tired-out zombie movie. Humans fight off infected humans, but the humor, odd love story and lack of overdone action scenes make it refreshing.
The film opens with the narrator “R” (Nicholas Hoult), an angsty zombie with a thing for old records and thinking too much (a very unusual personality for a zombie), talking about his post-apocalyptic life in an old airport roaming about with the rest of his zombie mates. His only friend is “M” (Rob Corddry), with whom he shares an extra special bond of grunting and staring. They get hungry (braaaains!) and gather a group to head out and find some humans, when they come across a group of zombie hunters.
In the battle that ensues, R sees Julie (Teresa Palmer), one of the zombie hunters, and is in total awe until he is shot in the arm by her boyfriend (Dave Franco, swoon). R attacks him while everyone else does their thing, and once everything has calmed down, takes Julie back home with him. Now their highly romantic relationship, in an I-just-ate-your-boyfriend’s-brains-and-can-now-see-all-of-his-memories sort of way, can begin. The only problem? Her dad (John Malkovich) is the one who built a fortress for the humans and began the zombie hunt, and is as hardheaded as any father would be when he finds out his daughter has befriended a corpse.
For a few days, Julie stays with R in his favorite abandoned airplane and quickly becomes his friend while trying not to get eaten by the other zombies. These few days of bliss entail long drives, games and awkward conversation.
The other zombies and “Bonies,” the zombies that are so far gone that they are only bones, begin to realize that Julie is human (gasp!), so she and R make a run for it. After the heartbreaking realization that R ate her boyfriend alive, Julie runs back home, abandoning R. But he goes after her, realizing he is changing; he’s getting warmer and beginning to dream. The rest of the zombies begin to change, too, and R suddenly becomes a heroic figure on a quest to convince the humans that they are on their side.
The scenes that follow show an epic battle between zombies, humans and Bonies while the love story between R and Julie deepens. So, do the humans realize the zombies are changing, or will they be left for dead? You’ll just have to see to find out.
Warm Bodies is not your typical zombie movie. It is cheesy enough to make the love story predictable (though that is not an issue) but not so cheesy that it makes you cringe.
The best part of it is the humor; it’s funny, but not in the stupid brain-rotting (pun intended) sort of way. Nicholas Hoult is one funny zombie, and the idea of a zombie even being able to care about anything is funny in and of itself.
Perhaps zombie lovers will be disappointed and perhaps zombie haters won’t even think seeing the movie is worth it, but Warm Bodies is enjoyable for both sides in the way that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was enjoyable whether or not you would normally see a comic book-based movie.
Zombie movies aren’t for everyone, but Warm Bodies isn’t the zombie movie you would expect. It proves that zombie flicks aren’t quite as tired out as, say, vampire movies (R.I.P. Twilight), but instead can be revived in the form of quirky rom-coms that just somehow work. Do not be fooled by the cheesy trailers; Warm Bodies is a truly hilarious film worth the $11.
8/10
Photo Courtesy of www.therackedfocus.com