capncnut
05-May-2007, 08:51 PM
WARNING contains mild spoilers!
Okay, where do I begin with this? Firstly, I was absolutely blitzed on cocktails when I first saw 28WL so I had to have another viewing last night.
Okay here's the basics. It has been 28 weeks since the last infectee died in London and the whole area is now under control of the U.S. Army. The survivors are now allowed to return to their homes and start life over. Many people are re-united including Don (spectacularly introduced to us by Robert Carlyle) and his two children. The first thing on the kid's minds are "Where's mum?" but Carlyle explains to them that their mother Alice was killed in an attack on the family home.
The overall sadness of the situation digs in as we see glum survivors and refugees as they are rounded up and placed in safe areas around the city. The whole thing wouldn't look out of place in Alfonso Cauron's 'Children Of Men' and the scenario is very jarring. While retrieving possessions from their family home, the children discover that their mother is not dead but actually still alive. Alice (played by Catherine MacCormack) is quarantined and undergoes extensive medical examinations where the doctors conclude that she shows signs of being contaminated with the Rage virus but is somehow completely immune to it! The doctors decide that the best thing to do is to use Alice as a guinea-pig for testing anti-Rage serums.
Don is overwrought with relief and partial guilt at hearing of his wife's survival (check opening scene for details) and decides to enter the medical facility to see her. They share a kiss and guess what? That's it no more spoilers. I have deliberately gone out of my way to not divulge the rest as I know how irritating it is.
Now here's the meat. I feel that 28WL is every bit as good as the original, it does plod a little (as did the first) but the overall feeling of desparation is well realised and totally convincing. The acting is first rate and actually a good deal better than the original where I felt that a lot of characterisation was lost, especially with the teen daughter. Things this time are a lot more even with some cracking dialogue.
Gore? Yes, it's a grim one folks with the violence following the original's footsteps in terms of the shock factor. Some are downright awful and cruel but wholly plausible.
I'm gonna rate this an 8 out of 10... bang on what I'd give to the first one. 28DL is the original and might appeal more to the diehards but I really can't split 'em, they are so similar in style (even some of the deaths are similar). I urge the lot of you to check it out and see for yourselves - it's a more well rounded tale I guess but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the greater. Good stuff.
I'm definitely having some of this at the flicks next week, noice! :thumbsup:
Okay, where do I begin with this? Firstly, I was absolutely blitzed on cocktails when I first saw 28WL so I had to have another viewing last night.
Okay here's the basics. It has been 28 weeks since the last infectee died in London and the whole area is now under control of the U.S. Army. The survivors are now allowed to return to their homes and start life over. Many people are re-united including Don (spectacularly introduced to us by Robert Carlyle) and his two children. The first thing on the kid's minds are "Where's mum?" but Carlyle explains to them that their mother Alice was killed in an attack on the family home.
The overall sadness of the situation digs in as we see glum survivors and refugees as they are rounded up and placed in safe areas around the city. The whole thing wouldn't look out of place in Alfonso Cauron's 'Children Of Men' and the scenario is very jarring. While retrieving possessions from their family home, the children discover that their mother is not dead but actually still alive. Alice (played by Catherine MacCormack) is quarantined and undergoes extensive medical examinations where the doctors conclude that she shows signs of being contaminated with the Rage virus but is somehow completely immune to it! The doctors decide that the best thing to do is to use Alice as a guinea-pig for testing anti-Rage serums.
Don is overwrought with relief and partial guilt at hearing of his wife's survival (check opening scene for details) and decides to enter the medical facility to see her. They share a kiss and guess what? That's it no more spoilers. I have deliberately gone out of my way to not divulge the rest as I know how irritating it is.
Now here's the meat. I feel that 28WL is every bit as good as the original, it does plod a little (as did the first) but the overall feeling of desparation is well realised and totally convincing. The acting is first rate and actually a good deal better than the original where I felt that a lot of characterisation was lost, especially with the teen daughter. Things this time are a lot more even with some cracking dialogue.
Gore? Yes, it's a grim one folks with the violence following the original's footsteps in terms of the shock factor. Some are downright awful and cruel but wholly plausible.
I'm gonna rate this an 8 out of 10... bang on what I'd give to the first one. 28DL is the original and might appeal more to the diehards but I really can't split 'em, they are so similar in style (even some of the deaths are similar). I urge the lot of you to check it out and see for yourselves - it's a more well rounded tale I guess but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the greater. Good stuff.
I'm definitely having some of this at the flicks next week, noice! :thumbsup: