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75 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
The perfect horror sequel, July 20, 2007
When I heard that this was coming out, I was not expecting much. The original is arguably THE zombie classic (discounting the hysterical "Shaun of the Dead") of the last decade, but the sequel involved almost none of the original minds that brought us the stark terror of "28 Days Later", which combined the threats of cataclysmic disease and it's deadly effects on the mind which caused those infected by what became known as the "Rage Virus" to viciously and relentlessly attack the uninfected, either killing the victim or spreading the disease. A sequel had potential of course, but it seemed like it would be a by-the-books popcorn affair. Boy, was I wrong.
People complained that the first film started too slowly and was boring for the first twenty minutes; I disagree, but that issue has been addressed nonetheless. The opening sequence flashes back to another group of survivors during the original outbreak. Their fate is one you won't forget; it is startling, chaotic, terrifying, dramatic, hopeless, and heartbreaking, all within one fairly short chain of events. That's when I knew this one was going to be everything I wished it would be and it never let me down. This film is epic and personal, gruesome yet tearful, and manages to give you everything you want, even when you had no clue that you wanted it.
The evolution of the Rage Virus is a fascinating one in that it manages to outlive the death of all of the infected (from starvation) by exploiting a rare gene that allows some people to be carriers of the virus without succumbing to it's effects. The result: even kissing your wife hello could be the catalyst for a new, deadly outbreak. The story kicks in 28 weeks after the infection dies and the US military is overseeing the repopulation of London; or a district of London to be precise. Every possible step is taken to ensure that the horror that was the infection that wiped Great Britain's population clean off the earth is not repeated. Naturally, the virus finds a way. As the crushing mass of humanity flees from the compromised quarantine and the murderous zombies, there is an amazing scene where the rooftop snipers are frantically trying to distinguish the civilians from the infected as they run down a bottlenecked street. The chaos and hopelessness of the situation are palpable as the camera shows us through a soldier's scope just what he is up against in dramatic fashion. The way that these situations of large-scale human terror are turned into personal struggles is what makes this movie a stone cold classic in my mind where it otherwise would have been just another great horror film.
The cinematography impresses as well. There are plenty more of those iconic shots of deserted London that bring back memories of the first film and make me wish I lived there so I could appreciate them more. Another nice touch. And the final shot of the film, while not unexpected, is one that will chill you to the bone and thrill you at the same time.
I've spent significant time trying to think of a horror sequel that surpassed the original so superbly and I honestly can't think of one. The closest would be the original "Dawn of the Dead", but I still prefer "Night of the Living Dead" to "Dawn" so "28 Weeks Later" takes it. This is an absolute take-no-prisoners, hard "R", work of terror that must be viewed by all professing to be horror fans.
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18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Rants from a usual critic of horror and gore, July 28, 2007
For some reason, the way the infected chase after their "prey" in this movie is eerily realistic. They run upright, "eagerly," and with all their might. They turn the corner to reveal their numbers, a massive crowd of bloodthirsty, demonic-looking infected beings, with no intention other than to rip open their victims. This movie, somehow, captures suspenseful horror in a way that I've never seen. The creepy, gothic sounds from the band Muse add to the darkness of this film. It's just so odd the morbidity... I can't pinpoint exactly what makes this movie so morbid (although, that's the plan of the director). The military portrayals are top-notch realistic, comparable to the movie "Children of Men." I hate movies with loads of gore and blood, but the mere artistic value of it makes it one of my favorite movies. I mean, if something like this were to really happen in reality, watching this movie shows us exactly what it would be like, truthfully. It has a sort of "Resident Evil" vibe to it, while also adding a lesson in why we shouldn't tamper with biogenetics too much.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Stunning and spectacular sequel, October 10, 2007
Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later was a surprisingly great horror treat, and 28 Weeks Later is no different. Picking up six months after the events of the first film, 28 Weeks Later centers around the United States military helping restore the mainland of Britain after the rage virus has been wiped out. Cowardly father Don (Robert Carlyle) is re-united with his children (Imogen Poots, Mackintosh Muggleton) while everyone else tries to get back to normal. Unbeknownst to everyone though, is that Don's thought dead wife (Catherine McCormack) is not only immune to the virus, but has become a carrier for it as well. As you can no doubt guess, it doesn't take too long for things to get very, very bad. Though I was a little apprehensive upon hearing that Boyle and original writer Alex Garland were only on hand as executive producers, my fears were put aside when the film kicks into high gear during it's opening sequence. The cast is more than solid, and features Jeremy Renner (SWAT) as a heroic sniper, Rose Byrne (Danny Boyle's Sunshine and FX's Damages), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), and an all too briefly seen Idris Elba (The Wire) as the stoic General Stone. The gore ante has also been considerably upped from 28 Days Later, with some impressive and brutal effects. All in all, 28 Weeks Later is a stunning sequel that surprisingly manages to live up to (and in some cases top) the original film, and is more than worth checking out for horror fans, zombie fans (normal or running), and fans of the first film alike.
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