Mind blowing gaffs in logic

Rating: 5/10 (29 December 2007)

28 Weeks Later - It's been 28 Weeks (Give or take, I wasn't really paying attention to the numbers at the beginning) since the infected ravaged England, and now England (What'll they call it? New England? That's taken) is being secured by the best peacemakers around, the US Army. As you might have guessed, everything goes well in this resettlement and everyone lives happily ever after.
Or not. In this slightly interesting yet unnecessary sequel, Britain is again overcome by a second wave of the infected. How, you ask? Well, a woman with one brown eye and one blue eye also seems to have genes for an immunity to the "Rage" virus. How can one person in a million (two actually. Her son is also immune) have the genetic makeup to be immune to an artificially created virus, you ask? That's not important right now. However, while she is immune to the effects (dying and coming back to life, the whole killing other people by ripping throats and gouging eyeballs thing) of the Rage virus, she can still transmit it through blood, mucus, saliva, etc. The logic of that just blows my mind. Anywho, she's found by her two dumb kids who have basically doomed mankind with this idiotic act. Why we're supposed to identify with them and wish for their safety is also beyond me.
Anywho, her also dumb husband kisses her and then re-kills everyone that managed to survive the first wave of infected. A mark of good horror writing is when you can look at what a character on screen is doing and say "Yeah, that's exactly what I'd do". I liked the one army hero dude. He reminded me a little of Nathan Fillion. Wasn't crazy about the rest of the cast. Cillian Murphy wasn't here this time, and boy did I miss him.
The US Army is usually shown at the height of their competence in horror movies *cough*. This time around might be my favorite gaff. Though they are there for everyone's security, they are unable to do anything because (Surprise!) the infected look like normal humans. Except for you know, the whole slavering monster thing. The Head Army dude decides to kill everyone indiscriminately, Nazi-style. I guess it's supposed to be some sort of Iraq allusion. In this movie however, it comes across as lazy screen writing. Why would the Army not have foreseen every possible outcome? If the danger was so great, and the Army would be powerless in this situation, why try to re-populate Britain at all? It's been 20 years and Chernobyl is still abandoned.
However, for what it is, the mechanics of the movie are quite good. The directing (apparently Danny Boyle did some second-unit filming) is pretty good. The music seems to have been almost lifted entirely from the first movie. The zombie effects are great and the Infected remain a menacing force. The first 20 minutes of the film are quite good and scary. The last 20 are repellent. The film is quite watchable, but for the love of God, no 28 Months Later! Please! Stick with 28 Days Later. a C+