28 Weeks Later [Blu-ray]

I'm a huge fan of the film 28 Days Later... so to say I was excited about this sequel was an understatement. I've seen it various times over the years, and honestly it's appreciated over all of this time. When I first saw it, it was a zombie movie with a bunch of actors that weren't from the first film or anything I'd seen before. 28 Weeks Later pretty much follows the formula of its predecessor by setting up the zombies with a really intense scene that goes from calm to frantic very quick, and then also displaying human tendencies at its finest (fight or flight) which leads into the credits. This story does a great job of expanding the original universe in a way that both allows it to be true to the original, but also to take a different tone in the story they're telling. Then we join a new group of survivors who get linked up with our first, possibly cowardly survivor (their father), who then get linked up with military folks that turn quickly after another outbreak is set loose. The fact that the two main survivors are kids really helps to sell the emotion of the story, rather than it being a couple running around making dumb decisions and being able to root for them to survive.The government is so quick to rack up casualties over taking a delicate approach to the zombie outbreak, so they start shooting everything in sight. It leaves our 2 kids, the lead in Imogen Poots, out on their own to defend for themselves against a world turned against itself. Though they make a rather stupid decision in the beginning to put themselves in the position they're in, it's an otherwise thrilling adventure following them through the city streets. Joined by Rose Byrne from inside the quarantine zone, they are later taken under the wing of Sergeant Boyle who is played by Jeremy Renner long before his claim to fame. He changes his mind about following orders and notices the kids slip into a safe building and promises to lead them and other survivors to safety. It amazes me each time I watch this now how much the movie is about him and how he really gets to be the hero of the story. I really think his character has the best arc of the film, though it starts late and ends early, seen to a close by Harold Perrineau from Lost. I really think this is the action-heavy version of 28 Days Later... that Danny Boyle would never have been able to allow himself to do as a first film.28 Weeks Later has plenty of action, characters, and story to please anyone. I think it's one of the better zombie movies, and definitely one of the best zombie sequels we've seen outside of the "of the Dead" franchise. Recommended for fans of Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, or Imogen Poots looking for an old filmography gem, as well as zombie fans and those who enjoyed the original film. Blu-ray copy came in great condition, and this release does not include a DVD or digital copy.