DVD Review: 28 Days Later

[Bubbabutt]

Movie:

Story - *** ½

Pretty solid story and kind of a refreshing change from usual ‘zombie’ fare. I say ‘zombie’ because this is technically not a zombie flick and I don’t wanna get bashed for calling it one. The basics are that some monkeys infected with ‘rage’ get loose and attack some activists who come to rescue them from inhumane experiments. 28 days later, Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital and the town appears empty. Soon, he joins fellow survivors Selena (Naomie Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley) in their struggle to stay alive amidst many ‘infected’ people. It gets more in depth as you go on, but at first it doesn’t seem as profound as it becomes.

Acting - ****

The acting is tremendous. This was Cillian Murphy’s (Jim) big break into Hollywood and he really deserved it based on his performance in this film. He really adds depth and layers to his character and makes you care for him. In the last little bit when he comes unglued, I found myself cheering for the guy. I haven’t seen Naomie Harris (Selena) in anything else, but she holds her own here for sure and has a lot more depth in her character than you would usually get from the standard ‘tough’ chick. Always been a fan of Brendan Gleeson (Frank) and he really delivers here as per usual as the sympathetic dad who only really cares for his daughter’s safety and then for the rest of the gang as well. Christopher Eccleston (Maj. Henry West) only shows up in the last half but man, does he ever deliver. You never really know what he’s gonna do next and Eccleston conveys that flawlessly with his great acting chops. Finally, Megan Burns (Hannah) does splendid and delivers a fine, engaging performance.

Directing - **** 1/4

Danny Boyle is an amazing film maker. His directing style here is a true visual feast. He especially shines in the post-title scene where Jim is walking around the town and you get a real feeling of emptiness. There really isn’t any weaknesses here in the directing and at its worst, it’s still damn good for sure. If you wanna see the best example of Boyle’s directing, check out Trainspotting!

Writing - *** ½

The writing is rather good for a movie of this type but not full-blown amazing or anything. We’ve got a few cliches here and there but they seem to mesh well with the story and don’t seem as pointless as they should feel. The writing is strongest when the closing scenes with the soldiers take place and you really get an interesting dose of humanity at its worst when listening to the dialogue from the men. Actually, it reminded me of the soldiers in Day of the Dead but less retarded (and yes, I still quite enjoyed that flick).

The Extras:

Audio Commentary with director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland - Very informative track with a few quick laughs along the way. Pretty good stuff from both guys here as they mention influences from the Simpsons to Apocalypse Now.

“Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later” Featurette - Really interesting making-of feature which actually talks about some of the background of the film as well, including some information on pandemics in real life and such. Also has comments from Boyle and most of the cast with Brendan Gleeson being my fave. You rock

Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland - Nothing too groundbreaking, but there were still some cool shots of the infected running around and it’s funny to see the scenes in the early stages as there are still cars going by in the background. The commentary is okay, but it’s pretty funny to hear the utter disdain for the taxi sequence.

Alternate Endings with optional commentary by director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland - Pretty interesting to watch, especially the “radical alternative ending” as it takes the whole “soldiers” part and ditches it, introducing a new character and a totally different ending. Of course, it’s in storyboard form.

Production Gallery with commentary by director Danny Boyle - Some cool images with Boyle adding some words here and there.

Polaroid Gallery with commentary by director Danny Boyle - A lot shorter than the other gallery, these pictures were used mainly to keep track of continuity and stuff. Boyle only talks for about half the track.

****

Overall Rating - ****

Really entertaining film with some great extras to round it out. The extras may not be extensive, but what is there is great. Boyle and Garland obviously had a grand vision of what they were trying to accomplish and convey it beautifully with this piece of art.

[fooknasty]

This movie is in my top 10 of all time. When I first saw this movie, I was so blown away by the beautiful scenery that Boyle brings to such a dark movie. This movie turned me onto CIllian Murphy and to the absolute beauty that movies can be, both dark and vibrant.

28 Days Later: 10/10

[WhatsInaName]

First time I saw it, I thought it was just average. But on a second viewing, I learned to appreciate it more. Now I can't wait to see Sunshine from Danny Boyle also.

[JackassFan]

Originally posted by WhatsInaName
First time I saw it, I thought it was just average. But on a second viewing, I learned to appreciate it more. Now I can't wait to see Sunshine from Danny Boyle also.

Sunshine's awesome. Definitely worth a watch. Or two..