28 times later

One ought to be sick of seeing bloodshot-eyed human-turned-zombies running around, biting and clawing and chasing non bloodshot-eyed human-turned zombies into bloodsho - Aw, don't make me say it.

Anyway, one ought to get sick and tired of the same old zombie tricks, but not in this movie.

'28 Weeks Later' knows how to frighten and grip you in its unrelenting claws. Its masterful opening scene both gives and takes away that flicker of hope and peace. This serves as a precursor to the fate of the supposed serenity that the U.S army is trying to re-establish. Its beginning note promises suspense, emotional turbulence and gore. Then the movie continues to deliver, until it meets its end, the way most zombies (as well as zombie flicks) do - by passing it on. In other words, 28 Weeks Later could very well turn into 28 Centuries Later.

The film toys well with your mind - a commendable feat considering it uses perfectly traditional scare tactics. Credit thus goes to the unquestionably apt pacing of the movie, guided along smoothly by the superbly appropriate soundtrack, which is actually mostly reused from ancestor movie 28 Days Later.

There were two outstanding scenes in the movie - you know the opening 10 minutes is one, and the other is the subway scene. (Of course it had to be the underground tunnel scene!) This is an amazing visualization of the director and cinematographer's mental image of exploring the Underground using infra-red googles that make even the regular-eyed people terrifying as hell. In the darkness, you know something lurks - you know it you feel it, but you can't see it, until it's too late. That's all I'm going to describe - go watch the film at least for that scene.

As with its predecessor, 28 Weeks Later weaves in social commentary into the movie - I was told part of the movie was meant to parallel the Iraqi situation. I believe it's indeniable that the portrayal of the military presence and actions make meaningful points about situations in the real world. The morality of military decisions is also another bone of contention in the film.

A true blue thriller / horror (and to rare macabre minds, a comedy), 28 Weeks Later will definitely have you on the edge of your seat, or in my case - buried deep into it, except when you want to throw popcorn at the screen for the ending.