Review of Warm Bodies (2013) by Deborah M — 21 May 2015

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of romance films. If I had to, I'd watch About Time, a particular favorite of mine. I am very picky with my romance movies. They have to have decent characters, and the two people in question must have good chemistry on screen. Thankfully, this movie manged it. "Warm Bodies" is a zombie-romance film directed by Jonathan Levine. The cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, and John Malkovich.

In short, the plot is about a zombie. He wonders about-as zombies do-moaning and feeling nothing. One day, he and his group stumble across a group of teens. Obviously, they eat their brains. Everyone is killed, except a young girl named Julie (Palmer). Our young zombie friend decides to rescue her. Taking her to his airliner, he gives her a place to stay. Logically, she's terrified, but she soon realizes he is different from the other corpses. After a few days, the two build a friendship. Julie names her new zombie friend "R". The two of them fight other zombies, listen to records, and fall in love.

This is not a normal zombie film. I'm used to watching The Walking Dead, so the idea of a zombie-romance film is really odd. First off, I have to admit I really enjoyed myself with this one. It reminded me allot of Shaun of the Dead, one of my favorite comedies of all time. It too is about a zombie apocalypse. The difference here is that this is about zombies becoming un-dead. They are actually striving to become human again. It starts with R, played by Nicholas Hoult. He spends his time eating brains and listening to vinyl. Hoult isn't a favorite actor of mine, but he does a decent job here. He and Teresa Palmer have that perfect chemistry on screen. It's an odd experience watching a zombie and a human fall in love, but it's really great to be honest.

The film isn't all mushy and gushy. Actually it gets really mushy and gushy, but not just in the romance bits. There are allot of zombie fights and exciting chase sequences. Since it is PG-13, things don't get to violent-which is a shame-but they get pretty nasty. This is definitely a film that teens will love, and not just girls. It is truly a funny movie. There are some really great comedic moments throughout that anybody can enjoy.

If I had to pick on something, it would be the ending. John Malkovich plays Julie's father, and he really feels out of place. I love Malkovich, he just doesn't work here. At the end, he's there allot, and he's really out of place. He felt like a sore thumb. he and Hoult don't have good chemistry as father and daughter. Other flaws include: predictable dialogue, a predictable plot, and a predictable ending.

"Warm Bodies" is a fun romantic flick for teens. Anyone who is a fan of romance and zombies will love this movie. Girls, you can actually watch this with your boyfriend at he will probably enjoy it to. I know I did. It's funny, snarky, and the two central characters work well together. The cinematography is beautiful, and the musical soundtrack is a blast. Despite it's predictable nature, this is a fun film with a tad of insight.