28 Weeks Later

28 Weeks Later is a terrific horror film I highly recommend. For the last hour I completely forgot I was supposed to review it, stopped taking notes, and just hung on to the arm rests. I liked it better than the original and that hasn't happened with a sequel in a long time. Though Mannequin 2: On The Move was a close call.

For a well-reviewed horror sequel, 28 Weeks Later didn't do very well at the box office, but I think the critics actually hurt the film. A lot of them tried to turn the movie into an allegory about the Iraq War. Polemics don't do well at the box office. No one wants to pay ten bucks to see reality and since all of what Hollywood pumps out is liberal, that automatically alienates 50% of the audience. No, the critics did this film no favors.

But I didn't see the allegory. If there is an allusion to Iraq it's a decidedly illiberal one saying half measure won't work and are only making things worse. It will require relentless brutality to end this threat. A lot of critics also said the film makes the American military look trigger-happy. What I saw was a military not trigger-happy enough. The restrained rules of engagement are what cause the chaos.

Bottom line: I don't think the film's about anything other than trying to scare the pants off the audience. Which it does.

Another reason to see it is Imogen Poots (pictured here) who plays Robert Carlyle's daughter. This girl's gonna be a star. Remarkable talent with a strong screen presense and unique beauty.