'28 Weeks Later' is a refined horror in its own, let alone as a sequel.

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2007)

Oh, the terror! '28 Weeks Later,' the long-awaited follow-up to 2002's British horror, '28 Days Later,' which was met with much acclamation from critics and horror-hounds the same, was scowled upon by dubious skeptics in its early days of production. The first film was delivered smartly and bluntly, with loads of gory fun; and was at the sure hands of one of Britain's finest, Danny Boyle. So what of '28 Weeks Later?'
'28 Weeks Later' seems to steer clear of this summer's pack of dimwitted horror sequels (led by Fox Atomic's other release, 'The Hills Have Eyes 2'), with its increased budget and the addition of semi-well-knowns, Robert Carlyle and Jeremy Renner. However, why the change of directors? It's hard enough to transition from a familiar cast to a completely new one, while at the same time maintaining the interest of potential viewers. Though, for a film to change directors, typically suggests a new style  one different from Boyle's shaky under-lit method that brought '28 Days Later' its believable atmosphere; and a dissimilar technique could potentially lose a good part of the first film's fanbase.
Well, a very much deserved kudos to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who welcomed the challenge and left not only victorious, but neck-and-neck with Boyle's insight into one of horror's best one-two punches of all time. In fact, Fresnadillo's techniques appear to have been crafted by Boyle himself, who took on the role of executive producer, alongside Alex Garland, for the franchise's second offering. Everything that was seen in Boyle's first chapter is seen here. However, in the sequel, everything's been magnified. There's more terror, more gore and more rage-infested zombies than in the first film; the excitement's been heightened, the panic's been intensified, and this year has found its most clever horror since its own predecessor!
The film opens with a husband and his wife (played respectively by Robert Carlyle and the terrific Catherine McCormack), shacked up in a cottage with a four others in rural London. When the cottage is overrun by the infected, Don (Carlyle) escapes to the countryside, leaving his wife and all others for his own safety. After twenty-eight weeks of reconstruction, a secured district guarded by American army forces becomes the temporary home for Don and other estranged refugees, including Don's two children, Tammy and Andy. All's well until the two rascals escape the guarded boundaries, only to return with the virus's passage back into the film.
'28 Weeks Later' is reflective of the war in Iraq, and gives wonder to how our troops are keeping containment. The adroitness of Fresnadillo's craft behind the lens is scary in its own. As the panic in the film ensues, it is captured with grave detail by Fresnadillo's mix of sporadic and monotone shots. The acting is anything but what one would expect from any horror film, and is pushed forth by the perfectly cast Jeremy Renner and Catherine McCormack as Alice, who gives a horrifying performance. If I could say one thing about this film, I'd scream to all of the fear, and the fearlessness in which it portrays. It'll bite you and bite you hard, and it won't let go until your heart's skipped twenty-eight beats!