MEOW!
Plot Summary: R is a zombie who looks like Edward Scissorhands if he got a haircut. While eating her ex's brains, he comes across a beautiful blonde named Julie; the two eventually form an unlikely relationship that could change R's heart from dead to alive.
Thoughts: Warm Bodies left me cold. That's the truth, actually. The film contains several great ideas within an ingenious concept--if any zombie feels emotions, it can possibly turn back human; it breaks so many rules of zombie lore, but hey, love conquers all--and yet, most of them are not used to their true potential. Some are the exact opposite, however; when a zombie eats a part of a human's brain, he/she/it is able to see the memories of that human, and actually feel something while they are, in fact, dead. Another great idea used wisely is that, in time, the zombies becomes *bonies,* which are skeleton-like creatures that munch on anything with a heart (SIDE-NOTE: Is it just me, or do they look like the aliens from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?). Apart from that, this is one zom-rom-com that doesn't emphasize the 'com' part of the sub-genre. In fact, had it emphasized the 'com' part in certain ways, this could've been a comedy classic for generations to come. One thing that could've been changed was making Nora (Annaleigh Tipton) the love interest instead. Take a still photograph of her, place it next to a photo of R (a very effective performance by Nicholas Hoult), and...man, the comedy can be THERE! Instead, there's Julie (the lovely Teresa Palmer), and the comical moments between her and R is amusing at best. Problems arise, though. For one thing, there should've been more witty dialogue between them rather than just the conventional "everything is going to be alright" lines. Also, why no development between either of the two leads? And if it's going to explore the pasts of their friends or ex's, why not explore both of their pasts as well? It doesn't make sense given the fact that the film's heart would lie in their relationship in the first place. There's also a few nitpicks within the story's structure, such as how can Julie be upset about R eating her ex's brains a few days after she was there shooting at the group of zombies R was with. Still, there are some nice touches here and there. Some of Jonathan Levine's direction has an interesting scope, ranging from the epic wide-screen shots involving the *bonies,* to the intimate moments between two characters. I like that R has a semi-passion for old music records ("Feels..alive," he says), and there are some tender moments between R and Julie that definitely gets the 'rom' part of 'zombie-rom-com.' And for whatever character they do develop in this film, such as exploring the past of Julie's ex Perry (Dave Franco, also known as the man-who-is-afraid-of-something-that-rhymes-with-grape from 21 Jump Street), it's those moments that keep the audience involved in the story. However, where the film should succeed--the romance between both R and Julie--ultimately fails to connect. While I won't say this film is bad in any way, when you think about where this film could've gone, it ends up being a bit underwhelming. That said, if you are planning to see this film anyway, please eat something first. I was getting hungry for some brains during the last third.
Out of 5 Bacon Strips, I give Warm Bodies:
Until next time,
MEOW!
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