I have become tired of zombies. So, it is fitting that the last
zombie film I would willingly see was the one that tapped into the final
vein of originality.
Warm Bodies focuses on the journey of a zombie (Nicholas Hoult)
to reclaim his humanity and find love. The film is a stew made up of
elements from Aliens, George Romero's Dead films, Twilight and seasoned
with the charm of a Wes Anderson film. On first glance, this list seems a
recipe for cinematic disaster; but, the end result is a soup with such a
unique flavor that leaves the taste buds in conflict.
Before elaborating on the aspects of the film that work, I would like
to focus on the ones that do not blend well. One manifestation with it
is in the design. The young adults in the film are supposed to be
seasoned inhabitants of an America that is overrun with reanimated,
flesh-eating corpses: yet, these actors look like they were clipped from
the pages of a Hollister catalog. This is problematic when there is a
subplot involving a shortage of cosmetic products. Now, I understand
that this decision was made with marketing in mind; but, the lack of
detail dilutes the illusion. This idea of a lived-in world is what makes
films such as Looper great: the design has to be synchronized with the
story.
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