Warm Bodies Review

Rated PG-13 (Zombie Violence and Some Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 37 Minutes

Cast-

Nicholas Hoult-R

Teresa Palmer-Julie Grigio

Rob Corddry-M

Analeigh Tipton-Nora

Dave Franco-Perry Kelvin

John Malkovich-General Grigio

Cory Hardrict-Kevin

Directed by Jonathan Levine

The resemblance is uncanny!

Note: Screened on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

Although 1932's "White Zombie" (starring Béla Lugosi) is considered to be the first feature length zombie film, the zombies that we know today didn't appear until 1968's "Night of the Living Dead" from famed director George A. Romero. A staple of our modern culture for the past 44 years, one does not need to look far to see that zombies are now more popular than ever thanks to television shows like AMC's "The Walking Dead" and video games such as Valve's first-person co-op shooter "Left 4 Dead." Zombie fiction is even considered to be its own literary subgenre and some of the more well-known works include Max Brook's World War Z, Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies. Published in 2010 in the wake of Twilight's popularity, Warm Bodies is an unusual romance novel set in a zombie apocalypse—not exactly the best time to fall in love. Now a film as well (ironically distributed by Summit Entertainment), it's easy to dismiss "Warm Bodies" as nothing more than a "Twilight" rip-off but that would be doing it a huge disservice. Director Jonathan Levine recognizes the absurdity of Marion's novel and fully embraces it while crafting a film that not only generates a lot of laughs but surprisingly heart as well. 

Set during a zombie apocalypse as a result of a mysterious plague, the zombie known only as R (Nicholas Hoult) spends his days shambling around an abandoned airport with his fellow undead. Most are incapable of individual thought but R is different and is even able to speak in a limited capacity in addition to grunting. His best friend is M (Rob Corddry), who shares R's unique abilities. Driven by his hunger for living flesh, R leads a small hunting party into the city and encounters a group of teenagers scavenging for medicine at a pharmacy. Although armed, the zombies quickly overpower the teens. R consumes the brain of a young man named Perry (Dave Franco), which allows him to experience his memories. He sees Julie (Teresa Palmer), the woman that Perry was protecting, and quickly smears blood on her to mask her living scent. Leading her back to the airport, R demonstrates his ability to speak by saying Julie's name and hides her from the others in his home, an abandoned 747. Julie is desperate to return to her father, General Grigio (John Malkovich), who governs a walled New York City, but R insists that it's not safe and promises to take her back in a few days. They slowly begin to bond, spending their days listening to old records. R even begins to have dreams the more he feeds on Perry's brain. He wakes up from one of his dreams to see Julie attacked in the terminal by M. He rescues her, which surprises the other undead. Like an infection, R and Julie's growing romance sets into motion a series of events that might just save the human race. 

Despite the novel's positive reception, "Warm Bodies" has been unfavorably compared to "Twilight" but what sets this film apart is Levine's witty script that mixes comedy with moments of genuine pathos. Levine directed last year's excellent "50/50," a touching and surprisingly humorous portrait of a young man diagnosed with cancer. Employing a similar approach, the film opens with R (who has forgotten his full name besides the first letter) narrating his day-to-day routine. While the zombies in this film are capable of basic communication and are able to perform simple actions like opening doors, they still possess all the traits that make them zombies, unlike Stephenie Meyer's sparkling vampires. As R is only capable of limited speech, extensive voice-over is utilized to express his thoughts and even though he commits some horrible acts, he makes for an especially sympathetic protagonist because his character taps into our innate need for companionship. His everyday observations also provide a lot of laughs thanks to Levine deftly balancing the story's humor and horror elements. A romance between a zombie and a human being isn't an easy sell and is frankly, quite ridiculous, yet there's a certain charm and sweetness to the way it's depicted as R stares at Julie with wide-eyed wonder. Levine never takes the premise too seriously and even pokes fun at it when Nora (Analeigh Tipton), Julie's friend, observes that it may be the apocalypse but that doesn't mean we should start dating zombies. The story doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel and makes a few obvious allusions to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (there's a balcony scene that's as poignant as it is funny) but the irony within its tale is not lost on the director and Levine recognizes that R, a shambling corpse, has more feelings and emotions than a live human being. Zombie films have often been used for social commentary, and "Warm Bodies" implies that its monstrous world is the result of people becoming disconnected from each other. Although rated PG-13, the film does not shy away from the gore, even if it is somewhat diluted by quick editing. The modest production budget is also put to good use and builds a convincing world where society and its infrastructure have totally collapsed. Hell, the only fault I can find is the dodgy CG used for 'Bonies,' ferocious zombies that resemble feral ghouls from the "Fallout" video games. 

What makes "Warm Bodies" works so well is the perfect casting of its two leads. Nicholas Hoult had a supporting role as Hank McCoy/Beast in last summer's "X-Men: First Class" (he will return for its 2014 sequel, "Days of Future Past") and he gave a fine, if unremarkable, performance. His role as R will likely open a few doors for him as he completely nails the role of a hopeless romantic who just happens to be a zombie. Hoult is also quite the comedian but still manages to instill fear as he chows down on brains. Teresa Palmer is thankfully not depicted as a helpless damsel-in-distress and her chemistry with Hoult is a major reason why the romance works. There's a montage of them trying on various sunglasses that I found enjoyable and a funny scene where Julie has to pretend to be a zombie but overdoes it. Rob Corddry steals every scene he's in as M. When he comforts R, M shakes his head and dryly remarks, 'Bitches.' Analeigh Tipton has quite a few hilarious scenes, including one where she gives R a makeover to the tune of Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman. Surprisingly, I found John Malkovich miscast as General Grigio. Malkovich is more at home playing eccentric characters but his restrained performance here never completely masks how uncomfortable he is in the role. It's the only casting misstep that Levine commits. 

"Warm Bodies" won't be released until February 1, 2013 but Summit Entertainment has been doing a round of advance screenings to promote the film. The audience was quite receptive and clearly enjoyed it thanks in large part to the humor. With early positive word-of-mouth, the film can disassociate from its "Twilight" comparison. The only major holiday in February is Valentine's Day so it's no big mystery as to why Summit chose that month. Given the negative reactions from its trailer, I was ready to write off "Warm Bodies" but it took me completely by surprise. Its romance sticks close to formula yet Levine manages to create a unique enough film that delivers a hilarious and affecting tale of love.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"What am I doing with my life? I just want to connect…why can't I connect with people? Oh right, it's cause I'm dead."