REVIEW: 28 WEEKS LATER
REVIEW: JUAN CARLOS FRESNADILLO [ 2007 ] 99'
REVIEW: FOX ATOMIC
CAST: ROBERT CARLYLE, CATHERINE MCCORMACK,
CAST: MACKINTOSH MUGGLETON, IMOGEN POOTS
PERSONAL RATING:
CRITICAL RATING:
WTF-FILMOMETER: NOT QUITE CRAZY

George A. Romero revolutionized the horror genre with his masterpiece NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in 1968 - Danny Boyle may well have revolutionized it again with his 2002 shocker 28 DAYS LATER. Previously acclaimed for his excellent 1996 film TRAINSPOTTING, Boyle shot his 2002 effort on a relatively low budget and in digital video. The result is a well scripted and character driven action / horror flick that maintains a high level of believability and with massive entertainment value. The concept of fast moving zombie-things was almost unheard of before Boyle's film - previously only appearing in unsuccesful Italian efforts like NIGHTMARE CITY [1980] and ZOMBI 3 [1983]. The idea caught on quite well from 2002 onwards, however, with the 2003 remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD (and the upcoming remake of DAY OF THE DEAD) as well as the sequel being reviewed here all featuring creatures very much in line with Boyle's vision.

Busy with his own projects but still wishing to have the ideas from 28 DAYS LATER expanded upon, Boyle set the gears in motion for a sequel. The task of directing was handed over to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, a Spanish director previously responsible for the well reviewed but undersean (at least in America) INTACTO [2001]. Returning from the first production is composer John Murphy, who's score this go around - while not perfect - lends considerably to the continuity between this film and its predecessor. The success of the first film meant money was more available this go around and the production certainly doesn't skimp out on expanding the scale of the horror experienced in the first outing while still managing to keep it on a more personal level than many films of its type.

Don (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (McCormack) are hunkered down in an old couple's cottage outside of London. With them are several other people who have escaped the initial appearance of the Infected. A young boy appears at the doorstep and is allowed into the home - leading a large group of the Infected directly to the cottage. Before long it is under siege and the majority of its occupants slaughtered. Don, in a moment of cowardice, allows the instinct to survive to override his love for his wife and leaves her behind in the cottage. He narrowly escapes - seemingly the only one to have survived the encounter.

28 weeks after the first case of infection by the Rage virus the city of London - in part - is finally reopened so that rebuilding can begin. The American military has quardoned off the Isle of Dogs, brought back electrical power and running water, and turned it into the only liveable part of the devasted country. Flying into the city as one of the very first groups of new Britains are Andy (Muggleton) and Tammy (Poots), the son and daughter of Don. Don welcomes the two to their new home in an upper floor penthouse suite but dodges telling the truth about what really happened to their mother. The two children are soon skipping out of town in a hunt for pictures of their mother that takes them well out of the sanctuary offered by the Isle of Dogs.

The last infected persons in the country had died in the months of quarantine, leaving London a lifeless and corpse-ridden landscape. Andy and Tammy find their own house with the military in secret pursuit. They discover more than just pictures, however, as their mother reveals herself to be quite alive. She survived the assault on the cottage and has lived for the past several months in the upstairs of the old family home. The military escorts the children and their mother back to the medical center, where it is discovered (but not shared with the family) that she is very much infected with the virus, but, for reasons unknown, her body is free from any effect other than a shift in the color of one of her eyes. To prevent another pandemic the military orders her execution in spite of arguments from a young medical officer that her blood may hold the key to developing a vaccine for the virus.

Don visits his children - currently sitting in quarantine at the medical center - and is once again faced with questions about how he could abandon his wife. Riddled with guilt and mildly crazy, he uses the all access pass he possesses as a caretaker to get him into the secure chamber that holds his wife. He breaks down and apologises to her for abandoning her at the cottage. She tells him that she loves him and the two interlock in a fateful kiss. Within moments Don is suffering the effects of the virus - transferred to him via his wife's saliva. He brutally murders her and heads into the medical center, leaving a pile of dead military officers in his wake.

A Code Red alert is ordered and the citizens of the Isle of Dogs are herded together in a supposedly secure facility. Andy and Tammy are rescued by Scarlet, the previously mentioned young military officer. While Tammy and Scarlet escape into the streets, Andy is left behind in the makeshift shelter with hundreds of confused citizens. It isn't long before the infected Don breaks into the shelter and a deadly new cycle of infection begins. Andy escapes, with the help of sniper Doyle, and is reunited with Scarlet and Tammy. Together with Doyle and a handfull of other survivors they make their way through London - facing not only the infected but the military's efforts to completely irradicate them.

Much like the first film in the soon-to-be franchise, 28 WEEKS LATER starts out with a bang - and a very effective one at that. Part homage to the premise of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, the opening scenes of this film are, by far, some of its best executed. Fresnadillo wastes no time in reviving audience memories of just what makes Boyle's hyper-active killing machines as terrifying as they are and manages, at the same time, to immediately involve us in the lives of characters we'll be characters we'll be following for the rest of the film. An obvious homage to Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, This opening sequence is every bit as chillingly effective as anything present in the first film. The film slows down, shortly, to allow us to get to know the other key players, but doesn't dawdle too long before jumpstarting the horrors from the first film all over again. What follows is 45 minutes of near solid horror action that's entertaining and frightening as well, though it never again reaches terrifying zenith that makes the opening scene so effective. The proceedings are considerably more viscerally violent this go around, with Fresnadillo not nearly as shy as Boyle in showing the more physical aspect of the horror scenes. That said, the gore is handled well and never shifts to being of the pornographic variety present in films like HOSTEL [2005].

That's not to say that there are no issues with the film - there are many more than I'd have liked. For starters, the characterization that led to making 28 DAYS LATER such an effectively horrifying experience is glossed over considerably here in lieu of more horror / action sequences. That's not to say that there's no getting to know people - there is more of it here than is provided by much of the standard horror fair at present - but it's not even close to the same level as that in the first film and this leads to the more horrific aspects of the film not feeling nearly as personal. An additional five minutes of scenes involving Don and his two children would have done wonders for the overall feel of the film. More irritating are the plot contrivances that lace the narrative - these are obvious setups for action sequences and only help to dull the effect of much of what ends up happening on screen. There are lots of these about and, while the brief running time doesn't allow one to dwell on them during the feature itself, they will no doubt detract from the effect of this film in subsequent viewings. The camerawork in some scenes - notably the infection of the huddled body of citizens during the Code Red sequence of the film in which it's often quite impossible to tell what's going on - also detracts considerably from the more suspenseful aspects of the film. A final sticking point is the soundtrack provided by John Murphy and the mixing of it into the film - while effective in providing continuity with the first film (it's based heavily on the track heard during the climactic ending scene of 28 DAYS LATER) it's also quite overused and manages to become distracting at points.

None of those things are prominent enough to make or break the film and the good that's available here still manages to outweigh the (plentiful) bad. For starters, Fresnadillo's Infected are scary as hell and manage to be every bit as effective as those who are present in the first film. His direction, while not up to the same standard of artistry present in Boyle's film, is certainly more than serviceable - this film heartily avoids falling into the same artless heap in which so many other hollywood sequels are piled. Fresnadillo keeps the suspense level high throughout the film's 99 minute running time and, once the Infection begins again, rarely offers the audience a chance to breath. Those who were dissappointed with the choice of endings for Boyle's film should find no problems here - the ending, while cliched and obviously a setup for another sequel, is suitably apocalyptic and very well done.

Performances are strong throughout the film, with the two youngest cast members (Muggleton and Poots) holding up well from start to finish - a rare thing for child actors in a horror film. Robert Carlyle is nice to have around and does an admirable job with his character, though it's definitely not the most challenging material he's ever been given. Other performances given by Jeremy Renner (as Doyle), Harold Perrineau (as Flynn), and Rose Byrne (as Scarlet) are equally well handled. The end result is a solid cast for a film that could easily have been nothing but B-grade cheese. Speaking of which, I had my inklings that the Lenzi's cheeseball shocker NIGHTMARE CITY may have played some role in inspiring the first film in this series. The second film continues with the similarities and makes me wonder all the more whether the parallells between the three films are coincidental or something more.

28 WEEKS LATER is hardly the best horror film ever made and, though some contend otherwise, it definitely isn't a better film than the first. It is a generally intelligently and competently made companion piece to Boyle's film. And, possibly more important than that, it also happens to be absolutely terrifying at times - something that most recent horror offerings can only wish they had accomplished - and manages to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. 28 WEEKS LATER doesn't disappoint and makes for wonderful matinee viewing.