You know, there is a part of me that wishes I could be a movie monster purist. Zombies should always be rotten, bumbling flesh-eaters, vampires should only be portrayed as morally-twisted, sadistic blood-bags and werewolves? Should never second guess their want to totally gut all the meaty delicious things. But movies/shows like Fido, Dracula Dead and Loving it, and BBC’s Being Human have weakened my resolve and allowed me to enjoy softer, modern versions of all of these creatures of the night. But don’t get me wrong – I still have lines (i.e: Vampires should NEVER sparkle).
That being said? Warm Bodies was hands down better than I could have ever imagined it (even if I was in a packed theater surrounded by squealing tweens) – and has officially replaced the aforementioned Fido as my favorite romzomcom ever. The writing, filming, and acting were incredible – and with the exception of some sub-par CGI, Warm Bodies is one of the most solid horror romantic comedies fans of the story could ever hope for.
Warm Bodies centers around a young zombie dude (later named ‘R’) and his want for well… life. You see he and nearly all of earth’s population have succumbed to a zombie virus, and now the living dead spend their days shuffling around, moaning, and occasionally eating the flesh off the living. We can all see how that novelty eventually wears off. And those zombies who eventually just simply give up? Transform into inhuman skeleton-like creatures called “Boneys” that unlike the shuffling life mimicking zombies, have only one goal. Eat anything with a heart beat.
During one of R and his hoard’s outings for food they stumble across a pack of young kids – survivors from a local camp – scavenging for medical supplies. And there? After devouring the brain of some poor sap (zombies don’t dream, but when eating brains – they do get to indulge in the memories of the brain’s owner), he meets Julie.
And Julie is one hot piece of living ass. Almost immediately he is smitten and saves her from the rest of his flesh-craving comrades by covering her in his smelly zombie goo (gross!) and sneaking her back to a plane at the airport where for the past whoknowshowmany months R has been holed up. R’s incredible internal monologuing throughout the film allows you to gain a good insight on his character and eventually come to adore it. But it’s really his ‘home‘ in the plane that relays how desperate this undead is to be living again.
After a few days of hiding in R’s plane – Amy is hellbent on returning home. You see, it’s not that she exactly misses her survivor camp, it’s that her father who is the head of the walled-in compound probably misses her. Much to R’s dismay he agrees to take her back, and after a little help from R’s best dead friend ‘M’ (who also has started to remember his human side), the two set off to deliver Julie safely home. Meanwhile, while other zombies start feeling again (i.e. Much like ‘R’ starting to dream on their own and regain a heart beat), the Boneys start riling up in masses to wage war on both the zombies and the humans. And? R and Julie may just have fallen in love.
Warm Bodies is a well-rounded film. It has some of the best characters (besides R). M is a hoot – loud, brash (even when he’s mumbling) and totally ready to kick ass and Julie’s father (played by John Malkovich) is per usual amazing. It also had some pretty decent special effects. The zombies themselves weren’t too overdone or extreme (just the right amount of decomposition) – really the only thing I wasn’t too crazy about was the CGI Boneys. But considering that the movie had no real flaws beyond that – I can forgive so-so CGI skeleton monsters. It also had no shortage of laughter-inducing moments. I couldn’t recommend this movie more, be it a date night or just seeing with a group of friends, it is an absolute must to catch on the big screen and then? One for the Blu-Ray collection.
Trailer:
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writers: Jonathan Levine (screenplay), Isaac Marion (novel)
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich
Dagnabbit, you got your review in before mine. That’s okay, yours is better.
One of my favorite aspects of “Warm Bodies” is the soundtrack. Such an eclectic mix of rock, indie, new age, and dream pop. Parts of the movie felt like a music video.