28 DAYS LATER--[spoilers]

[jmc]

Went to see 28 DAYS LATER this afternoon and was basically disappointed.  I enjoyed the premise, but it seemed to break down and attempt to do things too quickly.  I thought it was a little too "artsy" in its execution and really didn't like the way the action scenes were done.    

In a way, the premise is the problem--we only see the aftermath of the plague, not the chaos or the breakdown in society.  There were a few things that I found hard to believe--how could the hero have been able to survive in a coma in the hospital?  Wouldn't it stand to reason that the hospitals be one of the more dangerous places to be?  Perhaps not, since the infection occurs in a matter of seconds, but he seemed rather vulnerable at the beginning of the film.

I thought the actress who played Hannah the young girl was terrible, especially in the scene where her father dies.  

There are a few good scenes here and there [I like the one where they see Manchester in flames], but I think I would have rather waited for video.

[Some guy]

have you noticed on the commercial that theres this one part where this guy is shaking around and he goes "stay away from me!!!!"
doesnt he sound like Louis Black, the guy on the Daily show? I think so

[superdude]

I liked it, anyone know about the alternate ending though?

[Steven Millan]

         There is an alternate ending to this ?!
      I kinda had a feeling about that,since the happy ending seems to have been forcefully tacked on by the studio(Fox),in terms of making a sequel,and keeping the mainstream kids in the audience happy.
        Otherwise,it was a splendid movie,which used its grainy digital camcorder filming to its full advantage,with the first half being scary,skin crawling,and heavily realistic,and the second half deteriorating into a "Day Of The Dead" retread,but still---a really splendid movie for all to see.

[Flangepart]

Alternate ending, Huh? Not suprised. A Euro ending, and a Yank ending. Sounds typical.

[Nemo38]

Yes ..when the film was pre-screened, the audience seemed to think that the ending was too dark so they re-filmed a happier ending.

[jmc]

That doesn't surprise me either.....my ending would have had them being bombed by the plane.

[Chadzilla]

Flangepart wrote:

> Alternate ending, Huh? Not suprised. A Euro ending, and a Yank
> ending. Sounds typical.
>

Not the case.  Alex Garland's script was far more traditional horror, but Boyle did not feel comfortable with those elements (so they were cut).   He did shoot the original ending as a courtesy to his writer friend, but both argeed Boyle's vision was the better one.  So the ending was changed to reflect Boyle's vision.

I'm trying to get and see it ASAP.

[jmc]

One thing that I did like was the whole concept of the infected, the way they move, etc.  Too bad they aren't that heavily featured other than the first quarter of the film and the climax.

[The Burgomaster]

This is the 2nd best movie of its kind I have ever seen . . . with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD being #1.

Yes, I think it is better than DAWN OF THE DEAD.

Yes, I think it is better than THE OMEGA MAN.

Yes, I think it is better than THE LAST MAN ON EARTH.

Yes, I think it is better than RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.

I wish the ending had not been so "uplifting." But it was a fun ride getting there.

2 thumbs up! If I had 4 thumbs, I'd give it 4 thumbs up.

[Drezzy]

Agreed...only I think RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD owns this, just for The Tarman...and the punks. Gotta love the punks.

I don't see why people find fault in this movie at all. In the beginning in the hospital, his door was locked. That KINDA explains why the Infected didn't get to him during his coma. All parts of the movie without the Infected directly there were character studies, and yes, although the part at the makeshift military base did feel very DAY OF THE DEAD (as I told my friend Petone, it's like Boyle took DAWN OF THE DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD and made it one), it had a nice twist with the General promising his soldiers women, and Jim's reaction to that. I, too, wish that the Infected were featured more during the military section.

I give this film 4 Tarman's out of a possible 5. Classic movie, horror or otherwise.

[Chadzilla]

Very solid piece of work, one the better, if not best, of its kind.  Just what I was looking forward to seeing this summer.

[Ash]

Well you could always give it 2 thumbs and 2 big toes up!

haha!

[jmc]

It just doesn't seem to go for the throat the way the first two DEAD films did.  Had it done that, I could have lived with the DAY OF THE DEAD similarities--actually, as far as comparisons go, I prefer the last part of 28 DAYS LATER to DAY OF THE DEAD.  

DAWN OF THE DEAD has its problems, but I would say it's better than this.  Bravo for the OMEGA MAN comparison, I think it fits better than the first two DEAD flims.

[The Burgomaster]

jmc wrote:

> DAWN OF THE DEAD has its problems, but I would say it's better
> than this.  Bravo for the OMEGA MAN comparison, I think it fits
> better than the first two DEAD flims.

I view DAWN OF THE DEAD as more of an over-the-top, social satire than a horror film. I find it to be gory, but not very scary. I think it is a great movie, but it isn't very chilling.

28 DAYS LATER works better for me as a horror film. It is bleak and full of despair and doesn't turn to slapstick, pie-in-the-face humor like DAWN OF THE DEAD. I love movies that ooze with hopelessness. I just wish that 28 DAYS LATER hadn't chickened out at the end.