One Screwed up Sequel!

Rating: 2/10 (13 May 2007)

When it comes to the horror genre, all the 21st century typically has is the rip off, the re-make or the sequel. The difference is as follows: the rip off is "inspired" by the ideals in a film, but technically utilizes them in a 'different' way for the same effect; the re-make is pretty much self explanatory, and so too is the sequel.
Guess what money making venture is at work here?
Of course "28 Weeks Later" could've been good. Very good in fact...had it remained committed to the ideals of the original instead of inventing a new set of rules.
The story is as follows: 1- Couple is happy they sent their son and daughter abroad. They are then attacked by the infected, leaving the husband. 2- Several weeks after the infection has receded, the US Army takes control of re-settling the country. The 15,000 who haven't been killed and/or infected are placed in a quarantined zone of London. Father is reunited with his son and daughter. 3- Son realizes he doesn't have a photo of his Mom- persuades his sister to go out with him back to their home to recover a photo. While there, they find Mom. 4- Mom is the only person in the country who didn't become infected, but is a carrier. She also has different colored eyes...as has her son. Mom is taken into quarantine. 5- Kids confront Dad. Dad uses his all access key card (yeah, in a military lock down, a civilian who isn't US military has an all access key card...didn't make sense to me either) to get to his wife...kisses her, becomes infected, and it starts all over again. 6- Kids survive...but the other's who were with them aren't so lucky. And the son/brother does turn out to be a carrier, but not effected by the virus- so he's the key to solving the infection!
As for the flaws:
1- A civilian with all access to every place? This is military quarantine...they are prepared to exterminate everyone. So they don't even bother keeping the person who is shown to be infected with the virus in a secured area with armed guards and surveillance? It doesn't make sense.
2- Okay, I realize that its become very popular in this genre to have the audience guessing at what just happened: but enough is enough. C'mon...the shaking camera has to go. At several points in this film, when the infected were attacking, the camera work becomes so jittery that you can't even make out what is happening. One could suggest the director was trying to spare the audience from buckets of gore- of course that loses some of its effectiveness when exploding heads and infected vomiting blood all over a car windshield are brought into the mix.
3- This film missed the mark completely! The original contrasted the instinct driven rage driven infected with the sinister motives of the armed bullies who decide to succumb to another sort of madness. It did it in a way that was both unique and exciting. If this film wanted to make an interesting sequel, it should've employed the same sense of creativity! Maybe the issue for survivors of this kind of circumstance would be 'cabin fever.' Maybe its something different. Either way, this film just didn't work at all.