28 weeks later

I finally got to see 28 weeks later this week. When 28 days later was released in 2003 I received a huge number of emails talking about the similarities between the film and the Autumn books. At the time I said (and I still believe) that this was purely coincidental although there’s a little bit of me that clings on to the belief that someone, somewhere might have come across my books on the net and taken some inspiration from my story. Who knows. The theme, the overall tone and the some of the locations were certainly similar.

I’ve had a large number of emails asking about the new film, particularly a line in the opening scenes where an old man tasting wine says “I smell raspberries... vanilla... a faint touch of autumn.” Just coincidence, I’m sure!

I was a huge fan of the first half of 28 days later. The opening part of the film was stunning. I thought it was a brilliant concept, had great performances and was made with a superb visual style. Unfortunately I think it fell apart as soon as the soldiers appeared and the whole thing went downhill rapidly until it reached one of the most disappointing movie climaxes in living memory. I wasn’t looking forward to the sequel and my expectations dropped even lower when I first read the synopsis. A dead UK is ‘re-booted’ by the good old USA. It was obvious from the start that things would eventually go wrong and the rage virus would return, but it all seemed a little simplistic and underwhelming. I was genuinely pleased when the first reviews of the film started to appear and the word was good. In fact, the word has generally been better than good.

I enjoyed the film hugely, as much as I enjoyed the first half of the first film, but I left the cinema feeling short-changed again.

28 weeks later has all the ingredients of a strong sequel. The audience is already familiar with the premise so there’s no need to waste time with the back story and it’s straight into the action. It carries over the intense and immediate visual style of the first film and there are some truly nightmarish images to be seen – piles of bagged bodies on street corners, snipers firing indiscriminately into crowds of terrified survivors and protective-suited soldiers prowling the streets with flamethrowers to name but a few.

My main gripe with the film, however, was the plot and the various assumptions and conveniences which drove the story along at the expense of its plausibility. Here are a few examples (spoilers below):

• The country has been destroyed by infection and disease. Do you really start rebuilding it from the centre of the capital city? Wouldn’t a medium sized coastal town be more appropriate? London is a dangerous and unpredictable place at the very best of times...!

• With so much at risk and such a biological threat to contend with, how do two children manage to escape from the protected area and get into the rest of the city? Are we to believe that the military really that inept? (I don’t want an answer to that question – we’re talking about a fantasy story here, not trying to draw any parallels with reality)

• How did the mother manage to make it back home undetected?

• I know he hadn’t seen her for weeks and he thought she was dead and that he’d let her down etc. etc., but would Don and his wife really indulge in a game of tongue hockey while she was strapped to a hospital bed. Oh, and would the janitor really have authority to get into such a secure area, and would he be able to do it unchallenged?

• When the inhabitants of District One are locked into a secure area when the Rage virus first returns, how feasible is it that Don manages to get in through a ‘back door’?

• And finally, if it’s such a struggle for the children and the army medic to get to the tube station near Wembley, how does infected Don manage to get there ahead of them?

I wasn’t intentionally looking for holes in the story, but they were so numerous and so obvious that I couldn’t help myself. But, like most good horror films (and 28 weeks later definitely WAS a good film), if you suspend your disbelief for long enough you’ll enjoy the ride.

So, in a nutshell, I thought the performances were great, the visuals were stunning and I had a blast watching the film. I enjoyed it a thousand times more than I ever thought I would and I can honestly say I’m looking forward to the inevitable 28 months later. Maybe someone would let me have a go at writing it...?!

Just to finish this long-overdue post off, I’ve just watched the trailer for Will Smith’s I am Legend and I can’t help thinking that it’s going to be appalling. I’d like to be able to write a positive review of it later this year but I somehow don’t think that’s going to happen. As I’ve said elsewhere, Matheson’s hugely important and influential novel deserves so much more than this...