Feel the magic of the bodies getting warmer!

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2013)

On the wave of hits like "Twilight" and similar unconventional and impossible love stories involving different worlds, "Warm Bodies" is a sweet tale on the love between a human and a zombie both living on an apocalyptical world. It's about zombie R (Nicholas Hoult) and human Julie Grigio (Teresa Palmer) and how one saved the other's life amidst the conflict between their species and the Bonies, horrific and dangerous creatures more powerful than the zombies itself, slow in movement and speech and reduced to strange groans.
It all started when R noticed the girl while they were under human attack and he end up killing her boyfriend (Dave Franco) yet saving her from being attacked by his own zombie friends. At first she doesn't understand his reasons since he can only mutter words, the most he can say is "Not safe". But since she's the daughter of the human's resistance leader (John Malkovich), a tough colonel, she needs to go back to the stadium where the few human survivors are based, at the same time R notices changes on his deteriorated condition, now capable of doing more human things like dreaming, expressing his thoughts in a better way and more. And now? Love and trust trying to survive in a shattered world that is about to face more conflicts and perils.
What's underlined such simple story? True love and true respect that doesn't see appearances but sees actions, it's all about what's inside and not what's outside. It's different, it's far from the usual, you get suspicious but you try to know the other one and discover the world others have to offer. It seeks union in the difference, even at its most awkward. A good call to its target audience (teens) and the way they perceive changes and go through them. Invisible to majorities, sometimes alone in crowds, walking around like zombies and only getting truly noticed when they like someone, love, friendship or any kind of bond. Just a way to put it, not necessarily an universal truth, but appropriate.
Easy going, profound and far from being corny like many of same traits, "Warm Bodies" manages to be better than its original source, Isaac Marion's novel (good yet depressing), not betraying his intentions, changing a little here and there but being a little funnier. But they should have stick with Sinatra's songs (changed for obvious reasons but replaced by Springsteen and Guns N' Roses, equally great in my book) and also present R's zombie family and his adopted kids.
Relatively impossible to happen but please, give Nicholas an award for his role in here. The first of its kind, here's an unusual zombie, one that invites you to his world and deeper thoughts, one you create an enormous empathy even when he kills people to survive. He was the perfect R, in movements, expressions, actions, reflections and all and we get a bonus because he's incredibly funny and charming while being an awkward and good-looking zombie. Palmer was a good companion to him, and Malkovich played a good antagonist but Rob Corddry steals the show from time to time as M, R's best friend. Interesting to see him playing a more restrained character, a little amusing, different from the loud characters he plays.
One of the year's most entertaining films, greatly presented and acted, humorous and romantic despite the minor horror in it. 9/10