Review of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) by Vic L — 07 Feb 2016

Okay, okay, so I admit to seeing this much anticipated (wink!) adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's adaptation of the 1817 classic that is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, in its opening week. If a mashup with zombies is what it takes to get the younger generations interested in this masterful tale of 19th century romance, then so be it.

I have not read Seth Grahame-Smith's book, but I am very familiar with the original work. And I know pretty well of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen, and the 1995 BBC mini-series of the same name starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. These later references are essential to being in the know of this new movie's parodies and inside jokes. The dialogue is rich with direct quotes, taken from those sources, although not applied in exactly the same manner.

What we have here is a spoof of the original classic, retaining its essential storyline, but with histrionic stretch of the imagination by the addition of a countryside plagued (literally) with brain-devouring zombies who can masquerade as normal people (in their earliest stage of decomposition). It a high-speed romp through the classic tale, with no time for the subtleties; with martial arts, swords and knives and flintlocks, mixed-in with the necessities of young women of high society in desperate search of a suitable (rich) husband.

I confess that the use of such well-known actors, such as ex-patriots from Game of Thrones stars Lena Hedley (as Catherine de Bourg) and Charles Dance (as the father of the Bennets); and the colorful addition of another fantasy genre Matt Smith (as Mr. Colins, whose acting career includes one of the more popular portrayals the lead of Dr. Who) adds delight to those who know of them as I did. All three of these keep fairly true to the nature of their former character references, as they are used in here.

While I did not get any deep insight into the original story, I got lots of laughs from those inside-joke references, and how the plot is integrated into a horror tale with zombies. The costumes, while lavish, don't strictly adhere to the details of the early 1800s Regency period. The primary protagonists of Lilly James (Elizabeth Bennet) and Sam Riley (Mr. Darcy) does nicely in keeping the story moving at a quick and by no means boring pace. All of the acting is pretty decent for this kind of a spoof, with no actor "breaking the fourth wall" to the audience. This movie is an enjoyable escapade through a familiar tale with a popular twist.