We have an outbreak of the infection in medical center. All units; safeties off.
28 Weeks Later is directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo who also co-writes with Rowan Joffe, Jesus Olmo and E. L. Lavigne. It stars Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Mackintosh Muggleton and Imogen Poots. Music is by John Murphy and cinematography by Enrique Chediak.
Six months have passed since the Rage Virus decimated the UK, but now people are returning to London's District 1 with the U.S. Military overseeing the project. However, the Rage Virus can be carried in people with no outward symptoms.
After the monster success of "28 Days Later" it was inevitable that a sequel would follow. With director/writer combo Danny Boyle and Alex Garland off making "Sunshine" with Cillian Murphy, the big players from the first film were missing (Boyle and Garland were Executive Producers here). There was reasonable cause for some concern that this would be the latest in a long line of horror sequels that, quite frankly, suck the big one. How great to find that not only is "Weeks" an excellent sequel, it also doesn't sit idle and copy Boyle's winning formula.
The blood and ick factor is considerably amped up, as is the action (there's running, lots of running, guns, lots of guns, panic, lots of panic), but the writers have put intelligence into the writing by expanding on the Rage Virus victims as not just being an outwardly ferocious beast, and some topical smarts are spliced into the narrative with the presence of the American military "enforcing" the reconstruction of London. Also, with the film's central focus being on a splintered family, brilliantly set up by the breathtaking/horrifying opening 10 minutes, there's a mighty heft of humanism flowing in between the blood vomit and body shredding.
Cast are mostly terrific, with Carlyle and the impressive young actors, Poots and Muggleton, leading the way. The American lads playing military men have to make do with slender written stock roles, but Byrne provides spunk and McCormack leaves an indelible mark in a small, but key, role. Fresnadillo (Intacto) ensures Boyle isn't missed in the director's chair, with a keen eye for action construction and an awareness of pacing for such a horror movie. While Murphy again scores with that knack for doom mongering beats. There's some missteps, logic at times goes out the window and in the case of Renner's character, outcome is a bit too much of a bitter pill to swallow. While dialogue at times shops at "Clichés "R" Us". But this is still a mighty fine thrill ride, often scary and stomach turning, and even flecked with emotional worth. On this evidence a part 3 would be most welcome. 8/10
