Giev this a go, you wont regret it! (28 Days Later (DVD))

Member Name: richy77

Product:	28 Days Later (DVD)
Date:	30/06/03 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Scary, Well written, Exciting

Disadvantages: Poor ending

28 Days later focuses on a deadly virus called ?rage?, which is released into the public domain by anti-vivisection activists. The activists raid a primate research facility and release a monkey which has been infected with the rage virus. The film then jumps forward 28 days and the true extent of the viral infection becomes apparent when we are introduced to Jim, a patient who has just regained consciousness after a road traffic accident. The strange thing is that the hospital he wakes up in is deserted, and upon further investigation it also appears that the streets of London are empty.

While roaming the post-apocalyptic streets, Jim decides to loot a shop and this is where he meets his first human counterparts, who explain to him what has happened. Selena (Naomie Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley) tell Jim about the virus which has left Britain in a state of chaos. The rage virus is transmitted by a drop of blood and infects a person within a matter of seconds, turning its infected subject into a permanent state of murderous rage. 28 days on and nearly all of Britain has been infected and only a few survivors are left to struggle on with life. Understandably Jim finds the news hard to come to terms with, and decides to visit his parents? house to find out if they have survived. During this visit Jim comes face to face with his first rage-infected person and he discovers the brutality that the virus has brought to civilisation.

Another encounter with rage-infected beings (best described as zombies) leads the group to a cockney taxi driver called Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns), who happen to rescue the group and welcome the strangers into their house. It is during their stay that the group hear a radio transmission which encourages all survivors to travel to Manchester to form an army to fight the rage virus. Spurred on by the broadcast, the survivors decide to make the perilous journey. Upon their arrival in Manches
ter they are met by Major Henry West (Chris Ecclestone) and his band of soldiers, who have setup a fortress in a disused mansion.

28 Days is based on a genre which has been used a thousand times, but the film still manages to make use of original ideas. The fact that it doesn?t bow to the gore fests that are currently doing the rounds in Hollywood is one of the main reasons this film succeeds. Danny Boyle obviously decided that he wanted the movie to be driven by suspense and its characters, so apart from the opening scene we are treated to a movie which leaves a lot to the imagination. That?s not to say that the movie is tepid, on the contrary it has plenty of scenes which will leave you hiding behind the sofa. Another advantage this movie has is its lack of big name actors. Having leading actors in movies can sometime distract from the storyline, but this is not the case with 28 Days Later. A strong storyline is only slightly let down by a rushed ending, which doesn?t really fit in with the rest of the movie. However if you can see past that then you are in for a good night?s entertainment. Recent zombie movies like Resident Evil were major disappointments in my opinion, so it?s nice to finally see one that delivers.

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