Surprisingly great sequel (28 Weeks Later (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	28 Weeks Later (DVD)
Date:	04/10/09 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great action

Disadvantages: Not as clever as the original

28 Days Later was a horror film released in 2002 to considerable audience and critical acclaim as a visceral, gritty, original horror from mastermind and recent Academy Award winner (for Slumdog Millionaire) Danny Boyle. When a sequel was announced, few, myself included, really expected it to be any good, but alas, this is a film that understands the essence of the original, despite Boyle being substitued for director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo this time.

The film opens with an unforgettable scene, as Don (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) are holed up in a dilapidated house as the "rage" virus has taken its grip on the UK mainland. They are assailed by the infected, resulting in an intense escape sequence that really cements the tone for the next 100 minutes. The film picks up 28 weeks later, with the infected having seemingly starved to death, and the country is being brought back to a more civil state, although the UK has become more like a dystopia thanks to the American-led NATO force that are occupying the country (opening the film up to countless political readings regarding the Iraq war).

The film largely consists of Don attempting to locate his two children, and then attempting to get back to a normal life, but of course, the outbreak begins once again, kickstarting a wealth of chaos, underpinned by some intense and insanely gory setpieces. While this isn't the tense and psychologically compelling outing that the first film was, it really does deliver thanks to its inflated budget - the action scenes are extremely well directed, delivering both explosions and gore. Despite the expectations being low for this one, I don't think many will be let down, and many will be pleasantly surprised - it's not as great as the superb original, but it delivers on every front a "zombie" film should deliver.

Summary: A fun and unique film