Warm Bodies
Bleeding love
Warm Bodies steals your heart as hungrily as a bloodthirsty zombie, and galvanizes the first pulse of life into movie theaters this year. It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day date, as long as you don’t mind a few bloody flesh hearts to go along with the plastic ones.
The new dramatic romantic zombie comedy (dramromzomcom?) has something both previous paranormal romance movies and all 2013 movies up until now lack: brains. The script offers a plausible scenario into a world taken over by awkwardly self-conscious zombies, and oozes Easter egg parallels to a certain Shakespearean romance. It contains enough brains and heart to satisfy a legion of hungry zombies.
The basic premise may not be excessively original, but the tweaks to the formula make the movie great. The film takes place after a zombie apocalypse leaves the human race divided into three categories: One, the surviving humans who have enshrined their city/fortress in a protective wall; two, bonies, bare skeletons programmed to pounce on anything with a pulse; and three, zombies who lurk both physically and mentally somewhere in between humans and bonies. Unlike bonies, zombies still resemble humans (albeit alarmingly unhealthy ones) complete with unused vital organs, such as their hearts.
Nicholas Hoult plays an existentially conflicted corpse who refers to himself as R for lack of memory of his real name, or anything else about his life for that matter. R spends his time aimlessly slugging through a dilapidated airport and exchanging an occasional polite grunt with his best friend M (Rob Corddry).
During a standard flesh raid, R encounters Julie (Theresa Palmer) and Nora (Analeigh Tipton). R’s heart surges when he turns his icy blue eyes to Julie. No, it literally surges – something that should not be physically possible for a zombie. It may have something to do with the fact that he is halfway through devouring the brain her, well, ex-boyfriend (Dave Franco), absorbing all of his memories in the process. R saves Julie’s life and brings her back to his private jet. Despite her horror Julie finds herself falling in love with R, and the duo discovers their unconventional romance may bear importance for more than just the two of them. Not bad for a guy who can’t talk around girls.
Even though it checks all categories to be a good film, the movie lacks longevity that will keep it fresh in the minds of audiences and potential moviegoers. Hoult charms as a completely charmless carcass; one has to admire the thoughtfulness he put into his brain-dead character.
However, his living lover Palmer brought an adequate amount of punch and much needed life to the screen, but failed to impress us with distinct characterization of her own. Maybe it was because she was matched up against attention-guzzling Hoult, but Palmer couldn’t make her half of the couple independently memorable, as all successful on-screen couples do. As an audience we cheered for R and we cheered for R and Julie together. We never cheered for just Julie.
Not to say that Palmer did a poor job. In fact, the entire cast excelled, especially Corddry (who comically embodied the simplicity of a zombie’s mind, or lack thereof) and Tipton (seriously, get this girl in more movies). John Malkovich appeared as Julie’s father and human military commander… so yeah, that happened. And Dave Franco, following in his brother’s footsteps, continues to become more likable with each role.
Richly enlivened with quirky, oldie-but-goody music and a script flooded with knockout jokes, Warm Bodies is entertainment alive with actual intelligence. Yes, R the zombie will totally steal your heart. If you’re like me, you won’t mind very much.
4/5 stars
17 Responses to “Warm Bodies”
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Given the explosion in zombie culture and the avalanche of zombie movies, it was only a matter of time before a studio pitched the romantic possibilities. However, if this is what we get from the studios, well then I guess I can’t be that mad. Good review Logan.
Omg we disagree on this one. I love Shakespeare and am enjoying horror / zombie movies more and more but not this one. For a zombie R talked mind soliloqued way too much. That and not five minutes without some music ovetplaying the story.Good tunes but it distracted. American Graffiti had a shorter soundtrack. Acting was fun but overall its a rent it for me.
Right man, added this page on all kinds of sharing sites, let me know if you get any hits in your stat box from any of them
Thank you very much! Got about 15 in the past 10 minutes or so, and that’s a big spike for me!
Thats awesome man, where from?? Get yourself signed up and put my links on lol
Signed up for what?
Sorry, on your stats I just wondered which the referral was that brought in the views ie stumbleupon, linkedin, reddit etc. Then we know which are working
Twitter!
ah right cool. Reddit and StumbleUpon seem to be the best for everyone else, if you sort out a free account with them we can trade links on there too
I was planning on expanding my social networking horizons soon
So glad we are on the same page with Warm Bodies. I never thought I’d find a zombie lovable until R!
I totally agree with you on the Julie character, my buddy and I both agree she lacked depth. But Hault is a real scene stealer, I cannot wait to see him in Jack and the Giant. Aside from Coddry and Hault, the rest of the cast could have done better. I’m a huge fan of Malkovich, so it was sad to see him waste in a short character.
I actually think the cast was one of the best parts of the film! I love Analeigh Tipton. Completely agree that Hault was the scene stealer.
Tipton was good too, just not enough of her in it. I wish there was more of her.
Okay, this one was so far down on my list it wasn’t there…But your review has moved it up a notch or two, just might have to see this one. Great review mate!
Thanks! I definitely recommend it.
I had no interest in this movie until I read your review.Sounds like a fun & quirky movie.