28 Weeks Later

• Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
• April 26, 2007 (London) / May 11, 2007 (UK/US) / June 29, 2007 (Spain)

When two siblings break a United States-led NATO safe zone in London, the Rage Virus begins to spread again. Darn kids!

Rather than focusing on the cast from the last film (I’m not even sure if you could have gotten them) 28 Weeks Later goes with a new cast of characters in the midst of the Rage infection. It expands the mythology without changing things by moving into a different corner of the world established in the first movie.

The central characters are US medical officer Scarlet (Rose Byrne), Delta Force sniper Doyle (Jeremy Renner), and siblings Tammy and Andy (Imogen Poots and Mackintosh Muggleton respectively). What gets the ball rolling are poor decisions by all parties beginning with the kids needing a picture of mom. “Let’s risk our lives for a single photograph!” Moments like that coupled with a complete lack of situational awareness leads to disaster on a global scale. The more I focus on it the more it irritates me that things got out of control so easily despite so many knowing the situation and dangers.

That aside the story of 28 Weeks Later gets into human flaws and weaknesses. The children’s father Don’s (Robert Carlysle) fear is understandable and not exaggerated for plot purposes. He flees while hiding in a cottage outside of London abandoning his wife which leads the kids to needing a picture of mom. Writing this I really cannot recall the kids at that cottage. That is something else that irritates me as it percolates through my brain.

After they find mom still alive yet infected and Don is brought to see her, why did he think it was a good idea to come close to his wife who is in the throes of the Rage virus? I like Robert Carlyle as an actor and I did like the movie, but that is a seriously big question I have. You won’t think about them while watching but they may occur to you afterwards. Robert Carlyle to his credit doesn’t make him into a douchebag but just a guilt ridden individual.

I prefer a touch of an incubation period with my movie infections. It takes time for diseases to spread. Another thing that bothers me is that the transformation from normal to crazy is almost instantaneous and looks like it defies science. I wish there was a little time before the change rather than under five minutes. After all this is not some supernatural infection.

One the virus spreads again, the story of 28 Weeks Later is a long struggle to survive. The mother appeared to have some kind of immunity since she was still alive and had not starved like other infected. Our dear Dr. Scarlet makes it her goal when the infection gets out of control to save the children because they might be able to provide a cure or some type of treatment due to their relationship to the mother.

Scarlet, the children, and Doyle try to make it to safety. I can’t quite understand why the military keeps trying to kill the group. I get moments of being mistaken for infected but they were just trying to kill anybody at this point. Nobody ever has the presence of mind to say they aren’t acting like the rest of the Rage infected. It doesn’t seem to be unknown how the Rage virus works so their reaction doesn’t make too much sense. 

I’m a little confused by the ending. The characters escape into Europe on a helicopter. There’s a shot at the end that pans across the abandoned helicopter. Does this indicate that they died? It works well enough to leave it up to you up to the viewer. I don’t need my entire cast of characters to survive, but if everybody dies after a struggle for survival it makes the whole story usually not worth it. Very rare instances is that contrary. 

This is a much more expensive production than the original. While it does contain very similar if not identical music to 28 Days Later, the production values are much nicer. You can see it in the footage and just in general everything they do.

I know this sounded like a bit of complaining but the flaws while noticeable do not drown out the general quality. The acting and script are good and you are solidly locked on the film. Renner shows you his talent and Byrne does not get too motherly with the kids. Her portrayal conveys the character’s understanding of their performance.

28 Weeks Later is a good movie. It continues the mythology of the world without altering too much or forcing in original characters. It’s an enjoyable and much more action oriented movie than the last. Worth a viewing though.