good brain splatter mixed in with compelling social commentary

Rating: Null/10 (20 January 2008)

For those dissing the movie because of so-called plot holes such as how inept/illogical were the U.S. military actions, um, here's a one word response: Katrina. Here's another: Iraq. Is a building manager having access to a military secured section of a building that sets off the new round of infection in "28 Weeks Later" any more unbelievable or preposterous than the governmental "response" in the first week of Katrina of simply herding thousands of people into a stadium with virtually no basic support allowing lack of food, water, medical supplies, disease, criminal activity and death run rampant?
A major theme in most "serious" modern zombie films is how governing institutions and individual survivors react in the face of the complete breakdown of fundamental societal systems and norms we all take for granted each day from the time we get up in the morning to when we go to sleep in the evening. (In the face of a zombie outbreak, forget about holding the door open for the stranger leaving Starbucks with a latte in his hand). In "28 Weeks Later," this gets played out in the hubris of governing institutions trying to quickly impose order before fully understanding the problem and adequately planning a response. Thus, the "plot holes" that many have complained about here are in fact a major point of the film.
And to those complaining they don't like any social commentary mixed in with zombie brain matter from heads getting blown upI guess that means either you think that all of Romero's films are not real zombie movies or you've completely missed the point and think that "Resident Evil" is the ultimate zombie flick. "Night of the Living Dead" was in large part a metaphor for racism in the U.S. and the backlash against the civil rights movement in 1960's; "Dawn of the Dead" was a biting (pun intended) satire on mindless consumerism; and the recent "Land of the Dead" took aim at the growing class disparity between the Haves and Have-Nots.
Of course, first and foremost a good zombie film must have a strong visceral impact and some decent brain splatter. "28 Weeks Later" compellingly delivers the goods within the context of its social commentary. (8 of 10)