Warm Bodies

Zombie movies have been some of my favorite films. Oftentimes relentless gore and killing skirts the main plot. Warm Bodies took a different approach. It took the conventions of traditional zombie movies and made them funny and almost endearing. The premise surrounds a zombie, R (played by Nicholas Hoult of previous British "Skins" fame, among other films), who falls in love with a girl, Julie (played by Teresa Palmer). This causes...changes in him. And it's what makes this movie great!

Instead of focusing on the zombie apocalypse, Warm Bodies begins in post-apocaplypitic Los Angeles. By doing this, the film is able to blend quirky indie comedy and zombie movies. Hoult plays R as well as any oddball actor (i.e. Michael Cera or Jesse Eisenberg), but keeps a campy feel to his zombie body. And Palmer is a great love interest, figuring out R while trying to survive this terrifying new world.

While romantic comedies may not be suited for everyone, I think this one is. If not for everyone at least suited for those who are not fans of the genre. It was entertaining throughout. The biggest laughs coming from R's internal monologues and R's best friend and fellow zombie M (played by Rob Corddry, Jeff's lawyer nemesis on "Community").

There may be a few inconsistencies, but what romantic comedy doesn't have them these days. It was mostly small things, blood changing positions on character's faces between shots, characters changing positions without moving on screen. Other than that this idiosyncratic film blew me away. An outstanding film that I think was overlooked so far. Check it out at the budget theater!

9/10