Warm Bodies Reviews
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Likeable characters, original and amusing but still even with that originality is an average movie.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
It's also an interesting re-invention of the zombie film. Where the zombie virus infects humans with a single bite, consuming human brains can infect the zombie with certain feelings and memories of the person. In this sense, the film also reflects the whole notion of love being like a contagious disease. This is a cute and very entertaining movie.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
The lead character is a corpse named R, whose voiceover provides insight into the true nature of the corpse community, one of utter loneliness and moral affliction at eating people. R has all the trappings of the stereotypical hipster: he collects thing others consider junk, only plays vinyl for the better sound quality, and continuously wears a red hoodie. He has no true backstory, mostly because he, like every other corpse, doesn't know who he was at the time of his death. Still, he comes across a woman named Julie, a fighter with the human resistance out to salvage medicine, and saves her life. Taking her captive as he falls deeper in love with her, both slowly realize the potential for change and the hope for humankind's resurrection. A much deeper connection links them, as R occasionally devours the brains of Julie's former boyfriend, Perry, and retains all his memories of Julie, a type of corpse dreaming.
Nicolas Hoult ("X-Men: First Class") is perfectly cast as R, giving a great performance as a speechless, limb dragging zombie with a look of confusion, most times overshadowed by longing looks at his female companion. Other interesting performances come from John Malkovich ("Red") as a widowed general who is hell-bent on revenge against zombies, Rob Corddray ("Seeking a Friend for the End of the World") as a friend of R and another element of sweetness and sad sack self-reflection to this rom com, and Analeigh Tipton ("Crazy Stupid Love") as Julie's best friend, coming off as concerned and yet eccentric.
Because this is a love story, and a zombie one at that, you would think there would be some large, catastrophic circumstances that would keep these two from one another, apart from the fact that one of them is dead. The film lacks horror, or even basic tension, because there isn't a real villain in the film. There are obstacles, but never a grand force that needs to be thwarted. The bonies descending, Julie's overprotective father, and the plight of the newly heart beating corpses are things to overcome, but aren't difficult problems to solve. Her father is the only thing keeping these two star crossed lovers apart, and we don't even get the full story of why he's so angry at the corpses. Yes, his wife dies at their hands, and it's easy to admire the subtlety of merely mentioning it in passing and have it be memorable, but it's too weak. Julie's mother dying is a pivotal point to their problems and yet is only offhandedly mentioned in an argument. The ending comes off as nearly anti-climactic because there isn't a huge fight scene that controls the couple's fate, only gaining understanding from those who have been hurt by the zombie apocalypse and fear change or recognition.
With all these grand illusions to Romeo and Juliet (R-Romeo, Julie-Juliet, Perry-Paris, Marcus-Mercutio, Norah the Nurse) it would have been better if there was someone to overcome besides her father, who is only opposed based on the fact that R is an undead, which seems fairly rational. The cure was also nothing all that special or mind blowing. It wasn't completely biological, and came without explanation, though it did tie in with the sweetness of the love story and the overall tone of the film.
It didn't quite fit into rom com or zombie genres, and for that it's appreciated, but it could have been stronger. Still, one of the better love stories, and one that becomes complicated not because of a tangled script but through human emotion or undead emotions, if you will.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
In the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, R (Nicholas Hoult) is a zombie who spends most of his days shuffling through an airport. Occasionally he has a series of conversations with his pal, M (Rob Corddry), which mostly amount to grunts. R can't remember who he was before he became a zombie, or even what life was like before it all went to pot, but there is one thing that will make him feel alive again - human brains. You see, this tasty delicacy allows zombies to relive the memories of their victims. It's a nice release from, you know, decomposing. The zombies that have completely given up all sense of self peel off all their skin, becoming the Bonies, a wraith-like band of creatures that will feed off anything, even the dead.
This is R's life until his chance encounter with Julie (Teresa Palmer). He's smitten instantly and feels something weird in his chest. His heart has started beating again. He doesn't want to eat her, just protect her. Of course he did also happen to eat her now-ex-boyfriend (David Franco). R whisks her to safety to his home in an airplane cabin. They listen to records and he instructs her on ways to pose as a zombie. She's cautious but grows fond of her zombie protector (zombie Stockholm syndrome?). But R is proof that the zombies can change and that humanity can be saved. There's just the matter of convincing Julie's father, General Grigio (John Malkovich), who had to shoot his own wife after she turned. He wants them all dead and will do whatever it takes to protect the last bastion of the living.
Levine has found what may be one of the only optimistic zombie films out there. Usually these movies end one of two ways: 1) everybody dies (the preferred option), or, 2) the heroes manage a final escape but are most likely doomed beyond all hope (just pushes their inevitable off screen and into our imaginations). Tethered to a genial but winning romance, Warm Bodies is a zombie movie with a genuine sense of hope, revival, and even finds way to carve out a happy ending that, while predictable, feels right tonally.
The twee romance has a lot more in common with indie stylings than it does, say, Twilight, which will likely be invoked by many a critic and ticket-buyer alike. It's not so much the brooding, sullen, exasperating kind of "romance" Twilight has primed people to expect when monsters date young girls. Thanks to the helpful voiceover, we see R as a thoughtful (being generous here considering his peers) guy who, like most teens, is trying to battle his inner urges and sense of awkwardness. He may be a zombie but Levine and Hoult have found a way to make R relatable and a likeable dead chap to root for. It also helps that he and Palmer (I Am Number Four) have above average chemistry together. Sure it's a little weird that she takes the whole guy-crushing-on-me-kinda-ate-my-old-boyfriend, but like any relationship, there are just obstacles you're going to have to overcome together. And as my pal Eric would attest, any Franco had it coming (his big bro did lead to the end of mankind in 2011, so maybe he's responsible for the zombie apocalypse).
I appreciated that even with a PG-13 rating the movie still has a bite to it. Premise-alone, there is plenty for room for some intriguing mismatched comedy. I enjoyed the aspect that consuming human brains unlocks that person's memories. I like that R saves brains for later snacks. I liked that he used this absurd plot device to help him get closer with Julie and makes him feel guilty. Warm Bodies finds a way around the whole bodies decomposing issue, which is important since we don't want our Romeo to be too disgusting for the teen girls. It refrains from overt gore, relying on implied carnage and preferring choosing a chaste smearing of blood on lips, like he just got carried away eating a cherry pie. Honestly, I didn't miss the gore. While the concept of a completely putrid corpse, with its flesh rotting and falling from its face, finding romance would be darkly comical, I think Levine chose the savvier path, forming a romance that doesn't overdose on irony, which it would if the dead-boy-meets-girl romance were more grotesque. That's the reason the Bonies exist, to provide a more grotesque and more evil foe that can provide perspective on the nobility of the not-all-the-way-dead people.
Levine works enough comic angles that the comic possibilities feel explored, although much like the horror and romance could have been pushed even further. As is, I found R's musings wryly enjoyable, and his undead bromance with M provides some of the funniest moments in the film. Corddry (TV's Children's Hospital) is terrific in the movie and even finds what little room he can to add a touch of poignancy with his character. Often the humor, like the horror elements, is pretty relaxed but effective, refraining from oversized wackiness. You seriously would think that the movie would go bigger with its comedy considering everything at play.
Hoult (X-Men: First Class, TV's Skins) does a credible job as a zombie, let alone an American zombie; it's not all shuffling and caveman monosyllabic grunts. The actor is adept with communicating the awkwardness of his character in physicality. It's funny how much you end of empathizing with a character that is dead. Hoult is also a pretty hunky guy, Vulcan eyebrows and all, but his amiable demeanor and young love clumsiness will win over as many guys in the audience as ladies. Palmer, also sporting an American accent, gets the blood pumping. Julie is underwritten but rises above just being a typical damsel-in-distress. It's nice that later in the movie, when R breaks into the human camp, the roles are reversed, and Julie gets to protect him with her wits and will. Malkovich (R.E.D.) gets the worst of it just because his character is so rote.
I suppose I could lambaste the movie's love-conquers-all logic with a dash of critical cynicism, but I feel like its low-key yet unfailingly romantic side is another of the movie's charms. Sure, the idea that teenage love changing the world one beating heart at a time sounds like someone took the lyrics from an 80s power ballad and had it come to life (I'm reminded of the Patton Oswalt bit about the music video of an 80s hair band against the police: "He'd deflecting the bullets with the power of his rocking!"). There's no real explanation why the zombies are getting better, though the concept of reclaiming their humanity appears to be contagious. I guess you could make some mild commentary on the healing power of human connection, but I don't think Levine goes too far with any sort of subtext/social allegory, though there are enough slipshod Romeo and Juliet parallels. To the audience members who rankle at the unexplainable zombie cure, I would like to draw attention to the fact they are ignoring the fantastical logical puzzle of corpses coming back to life in the first place. If nobody minds why the zombie virus/crisis starts, then I don't see why I should be sweating over what solves it.
Warm Bodies is a return to horror for Levine. Before his Sundance breakthrough The Whackness, the man got his start directing 2006's All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. He's made what may be the only zombie movie that I can say is "cute," and that's perhaps the best word for Warm Bodies. It's a cute movie, perfectly pleasant, charming in its low-key sweetness while still managing to be clever. It's dark but not too mordant, and sweet but not sappy. The last act doesn't feel like it has the proper balance that the rest of the movie coasts with, but it wasn't enough to ruin the film. At its core, it's a cute love story, a zom-rom-com that's much better than being relegated as "Twilight with zombies." Yes it could have been darker, more macabre with its humor, and there are plenty of gloomy opportunities afforded by the premise of an undead boyfriend, but Levine and his actors have conceived a film that manages to be many things, chief among them enjoyable. It's a zombie movie that might make you feel squishy but under completely different circumstances.
Nate's Grade: B
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Nicholas Hoult stars as "R", a semi-conscious zombie who narrates the story of his life hanging around all undead in an airport terminal. Things are pretty dull for him until he meets Julie (Teresa Palmer), as they're both out scouting for food with their respective parties (well, Julie's party IS the food, and they mostly get eaten). R rescues Julie and takes her back to hide in his "house" which is an old, abandoned jet airliner. The two sit around listening to rock-n-roll records while a montage shows Julie doing cute, quirky things with the bashful yet hunky zombie. Meanwhile, Julie's dad (John Malkovich), the leader of the human camp, is searching for Julie. He's a relentless zombie hunter who shoots them on sight (so R better watch it). As R and Julie (R-omeo and Juliet?) fall in love, R begins to change and the zombification disease begins to fade from his body. To quote Gene Simmons, "Dr. Love has the cure you're thinking of".
I was expecting Warm Bodies to be a quirky little romantic zombie comedy (or rom-zom-com if you want to get cute), maybe in the vein of Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland. But Warm Bodies feels kind of tired and cliched, in spite of it's unusual take on the genre. It starts off promising but quickly delves into well-worn, predictable action/chase scenery that follows the familiar paint-by-numbers pattern. It's unfortunate, because I wanted to like this movie more than I actually did. I feel there's still a place in this world for a happy zombie movie, this just isn't it.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Warm Bodies is set in a post-apocalyptic world where zombie R has grown tired of his zombie lifestyle. One day after R saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world. The plot does not go into detail on what happened pre-apocalypse. That's not the focus of the film. It's simply a teen romance flick that takes inspiration from "Romeo & Juliet". The plot foundation on romance is very solid. The two couple don't immediately fall in love, but instead slowly build a interesting relationship. The two are likable in their own ways and both contribute to the relationship and the predicaments they get in. Plus I find it very hard not to like a zombie who played my favorite John Waite song. The social commentary is subtle here. It's not really shoved into your face and you might even forget it says something about technology since it never feels like commenting in any distracting way. The weak aspect is the comedy. Nearly every single joke failed to make me laugh. The film assumes if a zombie does or says something it'll be funny. A zombie not being able to drive a car counts as joke here or saying "Damn b***ches" are the extent the jokes go. The comedy in this zom-rom-com fails. The foundation of the romance with zombies more than make up for the weak comedy.
Nicholas Hoult plays protagonist zombie R and he handles it well. He makes rooting for a flesh eater good a good thing. The makeup on him help sells the idea that he's a zombie, but it's also naturally being able to change over the course of the movie. He finds right balance of what physical movements to do and facial expressions to make so he never comes out as too undead or too human during his change. Teresa Palmer smartly plays well off Nicholas Hoult character with plenty of energy. She helps lighten up the mood in some of the more serious scenarios. She successfully carries the emotional weight on her shoulder for a good chuck of the film. I would comment on the supporting cast, but this is mostly focused on Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. Don't worry though, Rob Corddry is involve and is the memorable of the supporting cast. The CG for a different group of zombies called the Bonies looks unconvincing. It's very standard CG, but the director intelligently uses darkly lit environment to make the Bonies come out as terrifying over visibly clear fake looking viscous zombies.
Warm Bodies is a rom-zom-com that delivers on the romance that also delivers a social commentary that never gets in the way. This is one rom-com that is more accessible to a broader audience that'll embrace it's bizarre premise and smart writing that treats them like adults.
Note: Twilight comparison
For anyone who dares compare this to Twilight here are three noticeable differences.
1. It's more accessible to guys since the protagonist is someone we can relate to and while not in the same context we can see our self in similar situation. Twilight is the opposite for we think Taylor Launter falling in love with a baby is creepy instead of romantic.
2. It does not ruined the general perception of the undead creature like Twilight did with Vampires. Warm Bodies is a fresh take on a familiar creature that has been used one to many times to simply kill the living.
3. Teresa Palmer is a better role model for women. One that's smart and with strong mindset to make it through tough situations. Kristen Stewart in Twilight starts a war between two mythical creatures and forces two guys to fight for her. I don't know about you, but Bella Swan is more of an antagonist that enjoys ruining lives and I can't imagine fighting for someone like her. Teresa Palmer on the other hand is worth fighting for.
Super Reviewer
I have never liked zombies that much because it seems like their sole appeal lies in grievous bodily harm being doled out without leading to a dreaded national debate since it would seem there are a limited amount of things you can do with them narrative wise. And along comes "Warm Bodies" to disprove that in witty fashion with its social and political satire of human society(love the take down on cell phone users).(Relax, there is some ickiness, scares and violence for those interested in such things.) Just as zombies may be more versatile than we originally imagined, so can the rest of us humans find a different path for our usual mundane lives. And an airport is the perfect setting for this story, as it feels like the people in them are constantly going in circles. Aside from the present and the future, the movie also looks to the past with its take on "Romeo and Juliet" but not in a truly faithful version since zombies don't have the verbal skills for Sheakespeare's rich language, although the young characters of "Warm Bodies" not being able to fully enjoy their youth is timeless. Plus, you have to love the vinyl records.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
The story follows "R" (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie who doesn't really have a place in the post-apocalyptic world. He meets a human named Julie (Teresa Palmer) who he saves from a pack of fellow zombies. As he and Julie become close and begin to bond, he realizes he loves her and might be becoming alive.
The plot of this film keeps us happy, excited, and frightened all at the same time and works it all perfectly. The characters really grow in the film and I quickly liked them as soon as I got to know them. They have their own personalities, their own dreams and wishes, and it makes us really relate to them. It may sound difficult to relate to a zombie, but thanks to the brilliantly narrated dialogue from the protagonist "R" we quickly come to sympathize and enjoy following him. He has hopes of doing something different with his life and finding something that won't make him just what he is, and that's when he finds Julie. I loved that they never fought or disliked each other, and instead of ruining the relationship the writers decide to let their chemistry grow as the film progresses. We have many supporting characters that add their share of the fun, especially the character of "M" played by the hilarious Rob Corddry. I also love a film where we can't predict the ending, and luckily I had no idea how this film would end up seeing as it's based on the tragic story from Shakespeare. But no matter how you feel when leaving this movie, you can't deny it's the most original and fun film to have been released this year. We have had a very disappointing month for movies in January, but luckily February starts us off with an entertaining and sweet monster flick.
The cast is charming and leads the film into success, and thanks to the great performances from Hoult and Palmer the film is a success. Nicholas Hoult is simply just perfect for this kind of role; he is able to make a zombie both creepy and lovable at the same time. He makes us really sympathize with the zombies and realize they only kill to survive, and this is what I love about him. He proves himself as a great actor and that he can carry the weight of a lead role. Teresa Palmer is charming, attractive, and kind which makes her character much more likable and cool. I completely believed in her performance and she doesn't disappoint, and you always have to love a female lead character that can also kill a zombie with a shotgun. Rob Corddry adds a lot of humor to the film, as he is the films main comic relief, and he beautifully pulls the role off perfectly. John Malkovich plays a tough and ruthless leader, but we see a dark past to him so we grow to sympathize with him in only a way that Malkovich can do. Analeigh Tipton has some funny and sweet scenes, and I was glad to see her pull off a good performance. Overall the cast was great and was one of the main reasons the characters worked and were likable.
Warm Bodies is able to mix romance, horror, comedy, and action into one solid film that is unlike anything we have seen this year. This is a much different zombie movie than I expected, as it really changes up a lot of things. Most zombie films are very gory and have long action sequences, but this film replaces that for a story and character growth, and it ends up being very successful. There are still many action sequences but they really don't play a big part in the movie, but it still adds a lot of fun. I could never have imagined a film about a romance between a human and zombie to end up good, but luckily director Jonathan Levine knows exactly what he is doing and takes a great script and makes it even better. They don't try to make the zombies completely disgusting and disembodied like on The Walking Dead (which is a show I enjoy very much), but I think the film is better for that reason because it felt more innocent and charming. The film has some villains that the characters refer to as "Bonies" which are walking skeletons, and I think the filmmakers should've tweaked the special effects to make them look more real and less cartoonish. But this is only a minor flaw in an overall beautiful film. This film shows the makers of the Twilight Saga how a romance between a monster and a human is supposed to be done. I highly recommend you check this film out if you want an original film that both entertains and thrills with one of the best zombie films in recent memory, and I think this film shows the beginning of a good year in movies for 2013.
