(C) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has a darker and grittier tone but still makes for a very good story
A trend is happening in literature in where many classic books are being rewritten with different tones and gorier story lines. There are now Shakespearean versions of the first three Star Wars movies, Wicked and Son of a Witch that take an edgier look at the land of Oz and Mirror Mirror which told the story of Snow White from the perspective of the evil queen. Some of these books have been made into films and have done alright at the box office. The newest one is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It takes the famous Jane Austen novel and adds some elements that make for a pretty good movie.
(C) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
A mysterious plague has befallen 19th century Britain that has caused the land to be overrun with the undead. Luckily Mr. Bennett (Charles Dance) has made sure to have his daughters trained in the ways of deadly combat to do their best to survive this growing threat. Elizabeth Bennett ( Lily James) is one of the best fighters in her family. She meets Mr. Darcy at a ball one night and they instantly dislike one another. Somehow though they have to find a way to put aside their social prejudices and personal pride to unite together to find a way to rid the country of the zombie menace once and for all. With the aid of her sisters and Mr Wickham (Jack Huston) they may have a chance but it is not a big one. These zombies are finding ways to grow stronger and the disease is only getting worse. Who is leading this undead army? Will our heroes find a way to stop them before it is too late? And what sacrifices will have to be made along the way?
(C) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
When this writer heard of this movie he was apprehensive to see it. The trailers did not do it justice and it looked like a poorly made attempt at a strange remake but that is not the case at all. The cast, the special effects and the sets together make for a pretty good movie. There is much more going on here than just zombies in a different version of the Jane Austen novel. The characters have real depth and have to deal with all of the things young women had to in this time period with the added threat of turning into the undead. The film has its light moments and scenes that are full of true emotions like love and hate that this writer thought was a nice touch.
(C) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Lily James is the shining star of the picture who plays her role wonderfully and is one of the reasons this is a movie worth watching. What is really intriguing about this movie is that the undead are not simply mindless creatures who are hungry for human flesh. There are many scenes where they are smart and treacherous which adds an extra evil element to their nature. This was an risky direction to take with them but amazingly it works.
This film gets 7/10. There is not much to dislike here but there are a few things wrong with this movie. The back story is sort of just glazed over when I wish they had spent a bit more time developing. There are moments when the movie slows down to a crawl and this sadly does harm the overall story. The plot is clever and well written in a style that most people will understand and enjoy. The costumes and zombies are well made with no two undead looking the same. The human aspect of some of them will surely chill some viewers to the bone. It is not a movie to take kids to see for a few violent scenes and some adult situations though.
If you liked Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter then this is a movie you will want to see. If you enjoyed the book you should check this movie out. If you are in the mode for a good zombie film this is the one to pick. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes out today.
Watch the deadly trailer below:
