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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Most sequels are the cud
that cattle spit up and chew again before
digesting it in their second stomach--a rehash
that takes all the best elements of the first film
and robs them of flavor. This sequel is quite good
at avoiding the cliches that dog most films of
this type and the writer/director avoids rehashing
the first film taking an original story related to
the first and exploring the aftermath of the viral
outbreak. The director uses many of the same
techniques that director Danny Boyle used on the
first to create a vibe of immediacy and reality in
the action that we see and expands on this
creating a sense of quiet dread.
The film follows two children who are returned to
a "safe haven" community established by the
military in London. It seems that one of the
children (Mackintosh Muggleton and Imogen Poots)
may have some sort of genetic immunity to the
virus which interests of a military scientist
(Rose Byrne also in Boyle's "Sunshine"). Their
father (Robert Carlyle)survived but their mother
may still be out there with the infected. When the
children disappear outside the city's safe area to
look for their mother they risk infection and
death prompting the military to look for the
children.
We get a commentary track from the director and
producer. Deleted scenes with commentary by the
director, an animated short that acts as a prequel
to "28 Days Later" and one that acts as a bridge
between that film and the sequel as well as a
multi-part featurette on the making of the film.
Fox has done a nice job with the extras. The
screener I received suffers from digital
compression problems but I suspect Fox will solve
those before the finished product hits the street
on 10/8 (edit: 10/13as a follow up--the final DVD
version released looks just fine).
Let's be honest here if you watched the first film
and didn't like it or thought it was no big deal
chances are you won't enjoy the second film. "28
Weeks Later" doesn't just try to replicate the
first film but expand on its story in a meaningful
way. The filmmakers are pretty successful in what
they try and accomplish with this imaginative
sequel. It's not a radical departure nor is it a
rehash of the first film. Fans who enjoyed the
first film will enjoy "28 Weeks Later" although
the characters aren't quite as well drawn as in
the original film.
Both this film 28 Weeks Later [Blu-ray]and 28 Days
Later [Blu-ray]are available in the Blu-ray high
definition format as well with similar features.
I'd recommend this as it is a entertaining
thriller with some fine performances. |
