Ah, zombies. I love to hate them. If I could choose a fictional profession to have, it’d be zombie hunter (Or princess, but you know.) Zombie movies are my favorite type of horror flick- okay, actually, they’re the only horror flicks I can watch without being scared out of my mind. Left 4 Dead is one of my favorite games of all time- same with Resident Evil (minus the damn quick-time events, also known as the Button-Mash Plague.) I love killing zombies- bang, bang, bang. Who’s dead now, zombie? Oh, that’s right- it’s you. Again. And this time, you ain’t getting up.
So, with my deep-seated love for killing, maiming, and mocking the undead, who would’ve guessed that I’d love a zombie romance movie so much? Certainly not me.
Warm Bodies, starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, is based on the teen novel by Issac Marion- which contains some major allusions and connections to Romeo and Juliet. The most obvious of these is definitely the character’s names- “R” for Romeo, “Julie” for Juliet, even “M” for Mercutio. Even Julie’s friend Nora wants to be a nurse- like Juliet’s confidate, the Nurse.
The plot is far from the traditional story of Romeo and Juliet, though. The movie begins with R in the abandoned airport where hoards of the undead hang out, stagger around, and moan, grunt, and have “almost conversations” sometimes. We learn about this world through R’s voice-over- his thoughts. This was honestly my favorite part of the film. R has a very dry sense of humor, and he’s very funny to listen to. He’s very relatable and completely adorable- a philosophical zombie who is searching for his place in the world.
The film is over all very well shot- I especially like the details like the graffiti all over the buildings and the rusted out cars. The flashes into memories were well done- they looked sunny and bright, an obvious contrast to the rest of the film, that was overcast and rainy, (except the end.) The soundtrack was amazing- I can’t wait to buy it on iTunes. The costumes of the characters were nothing special, but then again, it’s a zombie movie- tear up a few shirts and stain some jeans and that’s pretty close to done.
Now, this movie, while it is good, is not exceptional. The plot is predictable, but I wouldn’t call that a bad thing. One specific thing I think could’ve been done better was Julie’s character. Teresa Palmer did an excellent job playing her, don’t get me wrong- but next to R’s hilariously awkward moments/dialogue, some of hers came out sounding way too forcibly deep or just so directed to move the plot along. I don’t blame the actress for this, though- I think this one’s probably on the writer’s. It’s not a big thing- I didn’t get up and walk out, and I obviously like the movie- but I just think she could’ve had some more of her spark and sauce come across. (Clearly, she had it- hello, her first interaction with R is throwing a knife into his chest.)
I do want to give a special mention to Nicholas Hoult’s acting in this movie. He had a tough part to play- his face had to be zombie-like but express some emotion, draw sympathy from the audience, and he had to change it incrementally through the film as he became more human. But when he went from philosophical thinking zombie to feral hunter… woah. It was honestly a little scary, because it was so different an expression. When he’s getting high on brains, it really does look like he’s stoned. He brought R (God forgive me for using this expression) to life… in a way I think a lot of other actors maybe couldn’t have.
So, all in all, Warm Bodies is definitely worth your time- it’s adorable, but in a very new way, a little cheesy, but is self-aware and almost always follows up a super cheesy line with a tongue-in-cheek zinger from R. (My personal favorite: “I’m alone. I’m lonely. I’m lost. I mean, I’m literally lost, I’ve never been in this part of the airport before.”) The story is predictable, but I think I would’ve been disappointed if they tried to make it super deep/complex or something. It’s a fun film, although I wouldn’t call it child-friendly- it does have a few NSFW language moments- but for teenagers, and young adults, it’s just fun. Not world-shaking, not scary, not exceptional. Just plain, simple, zombie-love fun. Maybe take your sweetie to it for Valentine’s Day- it’s cute, it’s short, and it’s not a chick flick (so, guys, you might enjoy the movie AND get laid.)
Just watch out for Bonies on your way there. They’ll eat anything with a heartbeat. 🙂
Love,
The Femme Fatale Farmgirl
Femme Fatale Farmgirl 