Submitted by cinemascope on Mon, 2007-05-14 16:41. :: This Week's Films
Movie title:
28 Weeks Later
Starring:
Robert Carlyle, Catherime McCormack, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton
Directed by:
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Written by:
Rowan Joffe & Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Genre:
Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Year:
2007
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Runtime:
1 hour 39 minutes
Imdb:
Rating:
Synopsis
28 weeks after the UK has been devastated by the rage virus depicted in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, a US-led NATO force begins repopulating the country from the 'safe' haven of the Isle of Dogs in East London. Survivor Don (Carlyle) is reunited with his children - on a school trip to Spain when the virus struck - but after explaining that their mother (McCormack) was killed by the infected, he has some explaining to do when she is found, apparently immune to the disease. It isn't long though, until a new outbreak of the virus sees rampaging, sprinting zombies attempt to chew the newly-reunited family apart.
28 weeks after the UK has been devastated by the rage virus depicted in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, a US-led NATO force begins repopulating the country from the 'safe' haven of the Isle of Dogs in East London. Survivor Don (Carlyle) is reunited with his children - on a school trip to Spain when the virus struck - but after explaining that their mother (McCormack) was killed by the infected, he has some explaining to do when she is found, apparently immune to the disease. It isn't long though, until a new outbreak of the virus sees rampaging, sprinting zombies attempt to chew the newly-reunited family apart.
Review
Wrapped up in production on Sunshine, Danny Boyle, producing partner Andrew MacDonald and regular writing collaborator Alex Garland took a brilliant decision: they hired Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (who made the wonderful Intacto a couple of years back) to take charge of the sequel to their chilling British zombie apocalypse flick. As James Cameron did when taking over the Alien franchise from Ridley Scott, Fresnadillo in the first instance ups the action quotient: there's a lot of shooting, a lot of running, and a particularly memorable helicopter versus zombies scene in 28 Weeks Later. Like the original there are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat moments too, and blood and gore enough to ensure that 18 certificate. While the relatively new-fangled DV cinematography of the first movie was at times a hindrance, advances in the technology mean this is a crisp, sharp, and beautifully photographed experience, with some dazzling work from the director and his DP, Enrique Chediak, who also shot last year's impressive Ed Norton vehicle, Down in the Valley. Carlyle and McCormack bring some fine acting nous to a genre pick, and young Imogen Poots is a star-in-waiting. At times the credulity can slip, but the pace is relentless, and there are also timely resonances in the way the US Army deal with containing a new society that bring a chilling sense of clairvoyance to proceedings.
Wrapped up in production on Sunshine, Danny Boyle, producing partner Andrew MacDonald and regular writing collaborator Alex Garland took a brilliant decision: they hired Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (who made the wonderful Intacto a couple of years back) to take charge of the sequel to their chilling British zombie apocalypse flick. As James Cameron did when taking over the Alien franchise from Ridley Scott, Fresnadillo in the first instance ups the action quotient: there's a lot of shooting, a lot of running, and a particularly memorable helicopter versus zombies scene in 28 Weeks Later. Like the original there are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat moments too, and blood and gore enough to ensure that 18 certificate. While the relatively new-fangled DV cinematography of the first movie was at times a hindrance, advances in the technology mean this is a crisp, sharp, and beautifully photographed experience, with some dazzling work from the director and his DP, Enrique Chediak, who also shot last year's impressive Ed Norton vehicle, Down in the Valley. Carlyle and McCormack bring some fine acting nous to a genre pick, and young Imogen Poots is a star-in-waiting. At times the credulity can slip, but the pace is relentless, and there are also timely resonances in the way the US Army deal with containing a new society that bring a chilling sense of clairvoyance to proceedings.
