Warm Bodies is a great romantic movie with an added twist of zombies

Rating: 8/10 (20 February 2013)

"Warm Bodies" successfully brings together comedy, romance, and zombies. Based on the novel by Isaac Marion, the movie tells the tale of zombies coming back to life through the power of love. While the whole story is very cheesy, it is still very entertaining. The story is told through the thoughts of R, describing the daily routines of a zombie who doesn't remember much of his past life.
The acting in "Warm Bodies" is superb. Nicholas Hoult, who plays R, is excellent at portraying the quirky young zombie. His facial expressions really tell the whole story of the movie. It is amazing how much can be said without words. Julie, played by Teresa Palmer, is the tomboyish human love interest of R. Her emotions vary wildly, from the loving daddy's girl, to the emotionless zombie killer, and everywhere in between. The emotional interactions between the characters of R and Julie give a sense of realism, with Julie starting off terrified of her captor, but eventually trusting him to lead her to safety, and finally falling in love with him.
The atmosphere of the movie is very dim. The broken down airport, the abandoned houses, and the depression era Hooverville appearance of the human settlement represent the deteriorating state of the world as it is overrun by zombies. Yet there are also scenes of open fields and sunny days that bring back the romantic side of the movie. The costumes and make up for the movie are all well done. Each zombie looks as if they have truly died, many with scars all over their bodies. Their clothes are all ripped and blood stained. There are also animated zombies, known as Bonies, that have their flesh peeled off. The animation done for these monsters is well done, including lifelike movements that instill fear. The humans, while not as bad as the zombies, also have an appearance of living a rough life.
All of the concepts that make a good movie are present within this picture. "Warm Bodies" is a movie that contains a little bit of something for everybody, whether it is a romantic tale, a light hearted comedy, or an action filled zombie thriller. It is recommended to see this movie because no matter who you are, you will find something in it that you like.