Warm Bodies Movie Review

Rating: 5/10 (23 January 2013)

When I first saw the trailer for Warm Bodies I didn't know what to take out of it. Are they trying to be this year's Zombieland? Is it going to have any horror in it at all, or will it be more of a romantic comedy? Will it have an indie feel, or would it have too much CGI? Then I saw that Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, 50/50) was directing it, and I suddenly was on board for this movie.
Heading into this movie, I was hoping that this could be another gem hidden in the trash-movie-month that is January. I got The Grey last January, so could I get another one this year? Eh, no.
This film certainly has its moments where it's pretty entertaining, but unfortunately there are too many other missed opportunities that overshadow the bright spots. Probably the best part about this movie was that it gave an honest try at an original idea, which is obviously more than we can say about the majority of movies.
Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer were the two main actors in the film. There were moments where they probably could have used an extra take or two. Overall, they did their jobs well enough. John Malkovich plays the recognizable face that doesn't really need to be in the movie, but it's more marketable if he is character of Teresa Palmer's strict father.
The main issue that I had with the film was that there were so many conveniences. There were too many scenes in the film that were just glanced over quickly, but most of the audience would assume would be a large emotional plot point. There were far too many moments that felt like they were rushed to be able to finish the story faster, which is odd considering the film is just over 90 minutes.
I walked out of the theater feeling underwhelmed. I can't say that I dislike the film by any means, but I can't say I'll ever watch it again. It was a fine way to spend an hour and a half. I had some laughs, and I liked certain aspects of the movie. It will definitely entertain some, and it will definitely bother some. Unfortunately, the fact is that there were too many overly convenient parts of the movie for me.
5/10