Movie review – “28 Weeks Later” (2007) ***

Starts with a massive bang and the first 30 minutes is gripping. It goes a bit wonky with a contrivance – it just didn’t feel real that those annoying kids would slip out and go home. This could have been an easy problem to fix – establish the kids are rebels, give them a good reason to go home, or simply have helicopter observers see the mother. It didn’t strike true either than the army wouldn’t leap on a possible vaccine. But once the outbreak starts again and things revert to the normal zombie paradigm – to wit, a chase movie – it’s very strong (although it’s a bit of a coincidence Robert Carlyle keeps turning up). I really liked the direction, the design, and the way the military wasn’t demonized, as it often is (and usually lazily so) in zombie films; it’s clear they’re put between a rock and a hard place. Indeed, if the film has a theme it’s “in times of disease outbreaks… follow orders, and crack down very hard on anyone who doesn’t.”