28 Weeks Later DVD Review

28 Weeks Later DVD

Reviewed by Peter West "Danger Seeker"

DVD released by Fox Home Entertainment

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Written by Rowan Joffe (screenplay) and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (screenplay)

Rated R / 101 minutes

Starring: Catherine McCormack, Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Imogen Poots and Mackintosh Muggleton

The Story:

Synopsis: (From Fox Press Release) 28 Weeks Later picks up six months after the rage virus has annihilated the Mainland Britain. The US Army declares that the war against infection has been won, and that the reconstruction of the country can begin. As the first wave of refugees return, a family is reunited - but one of them unwittingly carries a terrible secret that threatens to reignite the deadly explosion of bloodlust, carnage and chaos.

Six months after Britain is decimated by the "rage" virus, the US Army has taken charge. Survivors and citizens that were overseas are being resettled in an controlled repopulation of London. Donald Harris who had watched his wife Alice attacked and presumably killed by the infected, barely escaped with his life and is awaiting the return of his children. Reunited with their father, Andy and Tammy Harris decide to take an unauthorized trip outside the control area to visit their old home. Miraculously their mother is still alive and hold up in their old house. The Army then takes the three back to the settlement and they are quarantined. It's found while not succumbing to "rage", Alice Harris is a carrier of the virus. Of course this leads to a re-infection and another fight for their life by the survivors....

The Picture:

28 Weeks Later is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. While some of it was filmed using the most modern of technology, some was filmed in 16mm to get that gritty feel to the film. Overall an excellent presentation!

The Sound:

A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack highlights the film. As with most horror films, music has a lot do to with whether or not a film is effective in delivering thrills to the audience. 28 Weeks Later succeeds by all means in that department, combined with some military sound effects, the overall sound of this film is excellent!

Extras:

28 Weeks Later is loaded with extras:

Bonus materials include:
ø    Feature Commentary by Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and Co-Writer Enrique Lopez Lavigne
ø    Code Red: Making Of 28 Weeks Later Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
ø    The Infected Make-Up Effects Featurette
ø    Getting Into The Action Featurette
ø    28 Days Later: The Aftermath Flash-Animated Graphic Novel
Ø      Stage 1 – “Development”
Ø      Stage 3 – “Decimation”
ø    Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
ø    Theatrical Trailers

Peter West's Danger Seeking Summary:

Since I've seen so many bad sequels, I decided to watch 28 Weeks Later cold.... I didn't read any comments or reviews about the film so I wouldn't have any preordained conclusions.. I'm sure glad I did! 28 Weeks Later starts off as a logical sequel to the first film. While the "infected" are indestructible just about, they do have to eat and after five weeks they all starved to death. Since almost everybody in mainland Britain was infected, the US Army is called in to help with reconstruction. So far all logical and what we'd expect if this really happened. Now when it comes to the resettlement, well I would have thought they would have waited a little longer, especially since all of the dead bodies haven't been cleaned up yet. Still this all makes sense.. Now we start to enter the area of suspending belief to go with the rest of the story.... Right away after coming back from Europe, the Harris kids sneak out of the quarantined resettlement, go back home and find their mother alive? I guess maybe she found enough canned goods to survive the six months.. But how did she survive not being ripped apart by the "infected"? That's the part that's tough to believe, but heck this is a movie.... Of course bringing her back to the resettlement zone is going to trigger a new outbreak, but we need that for the movie to keep going from here.... From that point on, 28 Weeks Later is action packed and the pace doesn't let up for a second. Combine that with the first ten minutes of the film which are just as action filled... The end result is a overall fun movie, guaranteed to make you jump out of your seat a few times!

28 Weeks Later reminds me a bit of Day of the Dead. Things seem to be a bit under control and mankind is on it's way to surviving, but of course we do screw it up.... While the movie is somewhat predictable and really doesn't add anything unique to the genre, it is a fun flick. I'm giving this one a strong buy just because it's enjoyable to watch and won't leave you bored for a minute!

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To buy 28 Weeks Later click on the cover below:

Films that Peter West reviews are played on a Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi DVD player, viewed on a Mitsubishi WS-55413 HDTV and listened to on a THX Ultra 2 Pioneer Elite VSX-59TXi A/V Receiver through a 7.1 setup of JBL Northridge E series Speakers.