Based off the novel by Isaac Marion, “Warm Bodies” follows the enticing story of R (Nicholas Hoult, “X-Men: First Class”), a zombie with feelings.
Directed by Jonathan Levine (“50/50”), R lives in a world corrupted by the zombie apocalypse, a new epidemic that has led to warfare and the extinction of the human race.
According to R’s dryly amusing narration, he does not fit in with the zombies or the bonies (zombies that have degraded to their skeletal structure). R is full of life and he has dreams, even though he can’t quite remember his previous life as a human. He collects vintage vinyls to play on his record player, acoustic instruments and other random trinkets that pique his interest.
Aside from his hoarding hobby, R grows lonely and longs for a companion to walk among the dead with. One day while he goes about his daily routine of eating human organs, his cold heart skips a beat the moment he sees Julia (Teresa Palmer, “I Am Number Four”), a human.
Instead of attacking her, R saves Julia and devotes himself to keeping her safe from the other zombies. But in Julia’s world, humans and zombies have nothing in common. Aiming to prove her wrong, R finds something to live for.
“Warm Bodies” is the perfect combination of comedy, romance and action. Most importantly, the plot isn’t too predictable, and a few curveballs are definitely thrown in the mix. Oddly enough, it has its tender moments, and the audience really feels for R in his deadly situation.
The characters in this film also speak in a sarcastic and witty tone without getting too carried away so that the humor never feels forced. For the most part, the cast contains fresh faces, including Dave Franco (“21 Jump Street”) and Analeigh Tipton (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”).
The soundtrack for “Warm Bodies” is also killer with songs by newer artists like M83, Bon Iver, Feist and The National, as well as older legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Guns N’ Roses.
With the dreaded Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s easy to dismiss all the new rom-com releases, but don’t bury “Warm Bodies” with the rest of them. “Warm Bodies” is not the average zombie movie either, so no one should ever feel frightened to the point of screaming or jumping out of their seat.
By the end of this film, everyone’s bodies will feel warm on the inside.
sgore@theeagleonline.com
