Intelligent, thoughtful, scary horror movie...

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2007)

28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle was a well made and intelligent movie about a virus infecting people in Britain and the chaos that results. It was also a scary, gory horror movie.
28 Weeks Later picks up the story after the end of the RAGE virus in Britain. The Americans are leading a NATO force to rebuild the country and re-populate the evacuated people. Into the mix come 2 children, Tammy and Andy who had been abroad on a school trip when the original outbreak occurred. Their parents, however were caught up in events... which leads to an act by their father Don that ultimately will cause chaos and horror once more.
I believe there have been comments by some critics, comparing the events in the movie to events in Iraq. I will concede that. But I'm not here to talk about a political horror movie (if you want to call it that). I'm writing to say if this is a good or bad horror movie. That's all.
And I'm happy to say that it is. It's got a few scares, some bloody violence, some shocking moments, and an ending that sets up a potential 3rd movie.
The acting is superb, but credit has to go to Robert Carlyle. The scene where he tell his kids what happened to their mother is very well done indeed. Rose Byrne is also good, as a major in the army worrying about the possible return of the virus. With this, and Sunshine this year, she may be on the verge of big things. Imogen Poots and Mackintosh Muggleton are good too as the kids who get caught up in the horror of the virus.
Credit must also go to the director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for not simply following the brilliant original but making this follow-up his own movie. The scenes in an empty London, don't look like copies of the ones Boyle did in the original, but his own take on the city.
Overall, a brilliant sequel (and when was the last time we had one of those?!). Who knows what horrors await if they decide to do another one (28 Months Later?).
I for one would look forward to it...