28 Weeks Later - Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and some sexuality/nudity.

There are some movies that are so compact, well thought-out, and downright successful that the prospect of a sequel would only cheapen the original's image. 28 Days Later was just such a movie. Working just fine as a standalone entity, the story could have lived on without any additions. However, success seems to warrant a follow-up..so here we are with 28 Weeks Later.

28 weeks after the first outbreak of the rage infection from 28 Days, the US military has quarantined off the British Isles and allowed its infected inhabitants to starve to death. As citizens are allowed back into the country, refugee kids Tammy and Andy are reunited with their father. However, as to be expected, infection returns to turn the living into bloodthirsty rage-aholics.

Taking the Aliens approach to sequential filmmaking, 28 Weeks Later ups the violence, action, and overall scale of the story by showing the military approach to the problem. Although this theme was touched on in the 3rd act of Days, Weeks takes it to a new level by adding in a couple of likable soldiers who are forced to make some tough decisions.

Also, as with Aliens, there are some real-world parallels to be made and a few relevant topics regarding the US military and current foreign policy. But thankfully, these themes are never numbingly obviously, and quickly muted once the blood starts flowing.

That's not to say Weeks is just another summer bloodbath--as it does try to at least match the intelligence in plot and style of its predecessor--but its still not one for the squeamish. And while it may not be as dark and brooding as far as atmosphere, there are still plenty of harrowing and intense scenes. The opening sequence, for example, is guaranteed to get your heart pumping.

Where it all seems to fall apart is near the end, however. After hitting a climax about halfway in, the remainder of the movie feels to drag on--even with its comparatively short 99 minute run-time. As with 28 Days Later, it seemed the writers had a really strong vision for the main plot, but were at a loss at how to bring it to a close.

So is 28 Weeks Later better than the original? No. But it is certainly fit to bear the name. Definitely among the cream of the crop when it comes to zombie(-esque) movies.

Highs: A moving sniper scene in which soldiers try to use selective firing to pick off infected amongst crowds of fleeing citizens. The child actors didn't bring it down one bit.

Lows: An unkillable, ever-present infected that seemed to be able to pop up whenever it was a bad time. Plot falls apart towards the end.

Rating: 4 / 5

~Khyron, 20007