Review of 28 Weeks Later (2007) by Frank F — 05 Jan 2012

Ok, so about 7 months after all the shenanigans of the first movie the U. S. Military has stopped the infection and begun the process of rebuilding and repopulating London. All appears to be going well, but because people are basically stupid and don't do what they are told we find out that the rage virus has NOT been eradicated and finds its way into the Green Zone. Carnage ensues. 28 Weeks stars Catherine McCormack and Robert Carlyle,and was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo who also had his hand in the screenplay. When I heard that Danny Boyle wasn't directing the sequel, I admit I was concerned, but Juan certainly pulled it off. I dug it.

First of all, to everyone who ever mentioned to me that 28 Days and now 28 Weeks weren't really zombie movies : "Blow me." If it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck. . .then it's a fucking zombie. Granted, these seem way more pissed off then traditional zombies, but who knows maybe they are feeling slighted because all of you douchebags out there saying they aren't really zombies. That's discrimination, and it's wrong.

This movie starts off hard and fast grabbing you right by the balls, and squeezing. . . hard. And it doesn't ever really let up. , it's like the "Saving Private Ryan" of zombie movies. After the beginning of the film, our main character the generically named "Don" as some pretty solid reasons to feel shitty about himself. And I remember saying to myself "Self" I said "Things are going to go poorly for Don." And you know what? They do. 28 Weeks is chock full of bloody, barfy goodness, much gunplay, and a few car chases. And for the second time in about a month or so, I got to see a helicopter rotor used as a weapon. And honestly, that will never get old for me. I was glad that they didn't do the sequel with the same characters from the first film. It should stop the comparisons between the two and let this one stand on it's own. Which it does, but you will certainly enjoy this one more if you see Days first.

Do I have gripes about Weeks? Well, I have gripes about everything, especially about The Dutch and circus folk. But I do have a couple about this movie as well. After his blatant show of cocksmokery, Don needed to die in this movie. But I think that it would have been better if he had gotten shot and set on fire by the Army so he could have redeemed himself saving his kids. As it stands....he went straight to hell. And am I the only one that thought that the Chief Medical Officer on sight might have told SOMEONE that the kids were the key to stopping the infection? And wouldn't one think that if they had a living infected within the Green Zone that maybe, they just might have posted a guard outside her door? Or at the very least made it a secure area that the janitor's ID card didn't open. They are little quibbles to be sure, but it's little stuff like that that keeps this movie at a kick ass zombie movie instead of letting it become a truly great film.

In summary:

Spousal sacrifice. (I don't have to run faster than zombies. . . I just have to run faster than my wife).

Crowbar fu.

Random acts of scooter riding (Was that a Vespa? It made the whole thing very Quadrophenia).

Rotor Fu.

Projectile vomiting.

Side boob.

And ultimately a bunch of infected Frenchmen.

I give it 4 out of 5 zombie bites.