Good horror - very poor sequel.

Rating: 3/10 (12 May 2007)

Like many people who were "umming and ahhring" when they heard this sequel was planned I along with many was worried. I'm left feeling that yet again, a very good film (along with Highlander/Matrix) will have its aura destroyed by ever more dodgy sequels.
I gather the filming was a little rushed in Canary Wharf, and that didn't bode well for me, though in fairness the film looks very good and is at times very well directed but, the plot, while not exactly "holes" and are to some extent explained, are nonetheless very annoying as they are frankly so bloody stupid!
I mean...the children getting out of the security zone and getting as far as they did; daft. Robert Carlisle being able to get to his wife (I know, I know, he had a "pass") but do me a favour; irritating. The fact that some soldier, suddenly gets a moral compass with no previous character building; a bit smelly, the fact that after napalming London a lone helicopter somehow is able to fly across the channel with out the pilot ever radioing in for hours, and being able to avoid radar is astonishing; i.e. read poor plot device for a nice looking ending but...another sequel.
Also, why napalm when they use chemical weapons anyhow? Surely they'd want to keep the buildings? And since when have Volvos been air tight? I mean, I know the Swede's make a nice motor...but chemical warfare proof!? Clever buggers those vikings...
Oh yeah, and the virus was not supposed to be passed cross species...so how comes humans got it from chimps then? Grrrrrrrr!!!! And why were all the civilians locked in a dark underground room!? What rotters these Yanks are to do that to us! Why didn't they put us all at the top of a building with lots of soldiers with guns on the stairs or something. And since when has an infected been calm enough to use a swipe card!?!?
And two children, walking along the underground from Westminster to Wembley!!! In the dark with no maps!?
Boo! Poor!!! 3 out of 10, must do better!!
Alright...If you want crass horror, then OK its your bag, from helicopters slicing people up to scary stuff with night vision goggles and eyes being gouged out...but this really could have been so much better. It started very well, and had lots of potential, but why should I yet again be made to feel like a snob just because I expect a bit of intelligence? Especially as the reason the first was so popular was because it was exactly the right mixture of horror, effects, good directing and an intelligent plot?
Oh well, as they say "Whatever".
28 months later anyone?