Movie Review: Warm Bodies

Cast:

R: Nicholas Hoult

Julie: Teresa Palmer

General Grigio: John Malkovich

M: Rob Corddry

Runtime: 1 h 37 min

Rating: PG-13

Plot: After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

In My Opinion: I was fortunate enough to catch an advanced screening of this film that is being released February 1st. True to the book it's based on, Warm Bodies had a little bit of everything: comedy, heart-warming moments, action and romance. In Author Isaac Marion's zombie apocalypse, the dead are able to function and retain a little piece of their former selves, although they only see flashes of their old lives. Still, they can open doors and operate record players. With a little effort, they're even able to say a few words at a time. I've heard people say that they're completely turned off by this concept, but since a zombie apocalypse has never actually happened, we don't know what it would really be like. We can only pretend through the magic of writing and cinema.

The hero in our story simply goes by 'R' as he can't remember his name. He wants to connect with someone. He collects things he finds, like snow globes and vinyl records. He wants to feel human again. When out on a "hunting expedition" for food, 'R' becomes smitten with a pretty blonde girl and decides to bring her back to their hive at an abandoned airport (right after he eats a part of her boyfriend's brain and is able to glimpse into some of the couple's past experiences). The whole story is focused on this couple getting to know each other and trying to understand what is happening when 'R' begins changing for the better. This is as far as I want to go with the plot as I don't want to ruin it for others who haven't read the book and want to see the movie (but you really should read the book if you haven't).

While you may find it hard to grasp the concept that a girl could fall in love with a zombie, I remind you how so many of us were quick to believe that a girl could fall in love with a creepy vampire who seems completely repelled by her and watches her sleep at night. 'R' is nothing but sweet to Julie from the very beginning (except maybe for the part where he smeared his zombie blood on her face, but that was only to keep her from smelling like fresh meat), and becomes more and more "human like" as the story progresses. Dare I say, this was a much better love story than Twilight.

Overall, I was not disappointed with how the story came to life on the big screen. Sure there were major parts cut out (like the marriage of 'R' to a random zombie girl and their adopted children) and the ending was altered somewhat, but the most important things, like the heart and soul of the story, were well preserved. The Boneys (creepy corpses who have deteriorated to nearly a skeletal remain and show no sign of human nature) were as terrifying as I had pictured them, the best friend to 'R' ('M') was the hilarious side kick the readers of the book had come to expect, and 'R' was every bit as likable as our narrator and guide through this unusual experience.

It's Rating Time

The Story: 5 out of 5 stars: As I said, this movie has it all.

The Acting: 5 out of 5 stars: This is one of those films where you forget you're watching actors and get caught up in the story.

The Action: 5 out of 5 stars: While this movie doesn't center around an action theme, there was still a good share of chase scenes involving creepy, deteriorating skeletons (a/k/a the "Boneys").

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: If you're a fan of zombies, a fan of Isaac Marion's book, a hopeless romantics, or if you just like a good laugh and can appreciate a really moving story, this is a must see.

~Jen