Title: Warm Bodies
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, John Malkovich,Rob Corddry
Length: 98 minutes
Rated: 12A
Adapted into a screenplay by writer/director Jonathan Levine from Isaac Marion’s source novel Warm Bodies is a fun comedy about zombies with a new take on the Romeo and Juliet love story.
One of the most impressive things about the film is that the story is different to what we've seen before. In fact full marks go to Issac Marion for trying to change the rules and create a new zombie mythos.
Nicholas Hoult may once (now many years ago of course) have been the geeky, irritating kid, with a suicidal mother, in a Hugh Grant movie, About A Boy, but now he's no less than an A-list movie star with roles in X-Men: First Class (as rubbish as it might have been it was still filled with star names such as Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James MacAvoy) and Jack the Giant Slayer.
Teresa Palmer is a less well known actress, having had supporting roles in I Am Number Four, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Bedtime Stories, yet she is clearly on an upward trajectory and this is her first big leading role. She works well with Hoult and although it’d be strange to say that their chemistry together is good they do work well together throughout the film.
Jonathan Levine follows up his good work on the film 50/50 here. His direction is never less than solid and at times there is a certain amount of flare. His career is certainly taking off very well as he is still relatively inexperienced. 50/50 and Warm Bodies are a real indication that the studios have faith in his emerging skills as a writer and director and he’s passed these early tests of handling bigger films (after the likes of low budget All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) with aplomb.
Hoult and Palmer take up the majority of the film with bit parts played by a talented but somewhat underused cast of supporting actors. Dave Franco (James's less attractive and less talented younger brother – which is still not bad at all if your brother is James Franco!) plays the part of Julie's boyfriend who is killed by R only to have his brains eaten. Analeigh Tipton is Julie's best friend and John Malkovich is Julie’s father. The ever likable Rob Corddry does get a little more screentime as R’s best friend M – another zombie who has begun to have some feelings and memories.
Warm Bodies is filled with laughs, quirkiness and zombies. Grab it now.
