28 Weeks Later

Having seen 28 Days Later I thought I was prepared for this, but I was not. Somewhere near the beginning of the film is a scene that goes from zero to psycho in about 2 seconds flat. The beginning of 2004's Dawn of the Dead also had a wildly chaotic kick-off scene, but unlike that film, which was a great film to laugh through while chomping your popcorn, this film is no laughing matter.

When there's no violence, there's fear and tension.

When there is on-screen violence, there is absolute shock and horror. Scene after scene shows ordinary people placed in impossible situations from which they cannot escape. This time, of course, there now two implacable predators out there hunting them down: the rage virus from the first film, and the military which is attempting to maintain control of any outbreak, but is willing to visit unspeakable horrors upon innocent people if they cannot keep that control. The horror and scale of the virus is so severe, that the plans the military implements are completely plausible.

The actions scenes are masterfully done, effectively placing the viewer in the points of view of both the victims and the crazed, but still scarily human, zombies. The portrayal of the violence pulls no punches; people of all age groups and walks of life are destroyed without remorse. No attempt is made to soft-pedal it. The fragility of human life on Earth and its vulnerability to just the right nasty virus are thoughts that stay with you after you've left the theater, and add a nice "after taste" of fear. The soundtrack, as with the first film, is amazing in conveying the tension and dread and sadness of the scenes. The story is fairly tight, as well. My only complaints might be with the acting of some of the soldiers, which just didn't feel authentic to me for some reason.

Overall I'd say this is one of the best zombie films I've ever seen, in fact, one of the most effective thrillers I've seen, as well.

When I first heard there was to be a sequel to Danny Boyle's excellent 28 Days Later and that Boyle himself would not be directing it, I was less than excited.

Then the reviews began flooding in and I was surprised, shocked even, that the majority of them were positive.

It was then after the well respected film critic Mark Kermode said it was "very good" and "better than we had any right to expect" that I began to raise my expectations.

Im happy to report that they were exceeded by a sequel that surpasses the original in terms of tension and spectacle.

Boyle remained on board with the project, albeit as a producer, but also directed some second unit footage and never allows it to veer away from the look or feel of his original.

Not that he had cause to worry as the new director,Juan Carlos Fresnadillo obviously understood Boyle's vision and expands on it without getting too carried away.

The result is a faster paced, less reflective film, containing a very intelligent political subtext and some fantastic action set pieces that (and this is the most important part) delivers a large number of quality scares.

It also dwarfs 28 days later in terms of gore, meaning true horror fans have much more in the way of visceral glee to sink their teeth into (pun intended).

Bring on 28 months later...

Some ignorant kids screw up the whole thing - thats all the story about. Even a child will have better IQ in this situation

Was average at best.

I'm really tired of the stupid things people do in most horror films. This film is no different. The horror films that I consider as really good don't need to have idiot characters doing stupid things to keep the story moving. Death shouldn't need a dumb mistake or a poor decision as a catalyst.

The effects were really realistic, the story even plausible; not that it needs to be. The speed of the virus' transformation however, was inconsistent with the victims and a little faster that what one would expect to be believable.

Average at best.

Six and a Half out of Ten

I remember watching "28 Weeks Later" as a kid and being blown away by its intensity and suspense. Back then, I would have rated it a solid 10 out of 10, with its thrilling pace and terrifying depiction of a zombie outbreak. However, after rewatching it recently, my perception has changed quite a bit.

The film starts strong with a gripping opening scene that sets the tone for chaos and desperation. But as the movie progresses, it starts to feel a bit like a low-budget production. The special effects and some of the action sequences, which once seemed cutting-edge, now come off as slightly unpolished and less convincing.

The storyline, particularly the subplot involving the zombie dad, feels awkward and forced. What initially seemed like a dramatic plot twist now feels more cringe-worthy and detracts from the overall tension of the movie. The idea of the dad turning into a zombie and becoming a recurring threat was meant to add a personal dimension to the horror but instead comes across as repetitive and not particularly compelling.

Overall, "28 Weeks Later" has its moments of suspense and still carries a sense of dread, but it doesn't hold up as well as I remembered. The film's shortcomings become more apparent upon rewatching I'd rate it closer to a 6 or 7 out of 10 now-still entertaining in parts, but not the masterpiece I once thought it was.