Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/110352
A Cold Romance Warm Bodies (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS What it is not: A movie that shows the hardcore zombie geek a brilliant new twist on the zombie genre. What it is: A romantic comedy without internal logic, filled with plot holes and bad acting. You might want to bring a bungee cord into the theater, because you���re going to need something to help you suspend your disbelief. Yes, Warm Bodies (97 minutes) reached number one at the box office, but that���s because the only people who went to the movies the weekend it was released were the kind who weren���t prepping for the Superbowl. Sexist it may be, but I���m guessing the film only hit number one because there were a ton of chicks without anything better to do that weekend. Before getting into plot details, I admit I couldn���t get more than few pages into the Isaac Marion novel upon which the the film is based. After seeing the movie, I can���t spend too much time regretting that, because there are a number of issues: (A) The human looking zombies are covered in scars; presumably from all the times people attacked them. Here���s the problem ��� dead flesh wouldn���t scar and zombies managing to stay animated through multiple attacks would be covered with maggot filled wounds. (B) Though it is unclear exactly how long the survivors were holed up in their walled city, they had survived long enough to figure out the need for head shots. In fact, those who go outside the wall looking for supplies make it a point to scream ���aim for the heads.��� So why are people capable of hitting the lower body at close range unable to aim about two feet higher? And if they can���t aim two feet higher, why are they allowed to leave the protected part of the city when there are so many militia guys who are much better shots and who are mostly just hanging out with their commanding officers in tents? (C) This is probably just me, but Julie (Teresa Palmer) really reminds me of Kristen Stewart. That makes me hate her. (D) Zombies rot. I don���t buy a love story when one of the two involved would probably smell like he had just gotten out of the Bog of Eternal Stench. I don���t buy that he could get anywhere near a living human without setting off every alarm bell in their traumatized little brains. And maybe true love would keep you from eating the object of your affection, but why would it keep you from satisfying your hunger on other readily available prey? (E) When your population is radically reduced in size, one would expect cosmetics and such to be readily available. However, I do not expect that a human in hiding, locked in an airplane without plentiful water, would manage to maintain a stunningly beautiful coif, much less have any make-up lying around for frequent re-application over a period of days. (F) A drop of zombie blood will not save you from hordes of ravening zombies who locate their prey at least in part by smell. When you steal a joke from Shawn of the Dead, steal it all the way. All Shawn had to do was shuffle and make zombie sounds and it was funny. (G) Exposition is the movie killer. Show, don���t tell. When your movie needs so much voiceover explanation you are doing something wrong. It���s amazing how pointing out the numerous flaws in the movie ate up almost the entire review. I would go on, but I should at least mention the stars. Zombie Love Interest R (Nicholas Hoult) is different from the other zombie boys. He is in the midst of an existential crisis that not even his best friend M (Rod Corddry, stealing the show) can understand. Also in the mix is John Malkovich, phoning it in for a paycheck as Julie���s militant Dad. Overall, I���ve had to sit through worse films, but don���t feel you should run out to see it just because it���s making money. Now showing at Wynnsong HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandMarket Fair 15. comingweekly.com. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cumberland County Association of Educators and present s America Day Read Acros In honor of Dr. Seuss Promoting literacy by bringing together o o g e cy kids, teens, and books. ( )5( 7 (9(1 March 1, 2013 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Holi Holiday Inn Bordeaux Special Guest: Dr. Frank Till CC CCS Superintendent Join us for fun, food & activities! Bu Building A Nation of Readers ���You���re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and wil read with a child.��� r www.nea.org/readacross www.kidsvillenews.com/cumberland FEBRUARY 20-26, 2013 UCW 21