'28 Weeks Later': Real Horror Returns

Sequel wise 2007 is no different than any of the previous years during the new millennium.  So far this year four have been released and every week up until June 29th one is set to come out.  The latest is from third-time director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and is the follow-up to the 2003 surprise hit '28 Days Later'.  Sequels that are able to out-do their originals in terms of quality are far and few and is even truer more so in the horror genre.  '28 Weeks Later' does just that by taking it up a notch with an even more riveting premise and execution than last time.

The story picks up exactly where the title states: just a little over six months after the rage virus has struck the British Isles.  Reconstruction has begun and hope for a new beginning is fresh in the minds of those returning home.  Upon the reunion of a family, one of its members is discovered to have a rare immunity to the infectious virus while at the same time is carrying it.  It's not long before the breakout occurs once again the chaos that was present before echoes through the streets once again.

In a nutshell, '28 Weeks Later' has almost everything that make a great horror film.  Resonating endlessly in just about every darkly lit scene (and even some very well lit ones) is an insane amount of suspense.  Some of the most satisfying moments of the film were when I felt certain that one of the infected were going to make their move and jolt out of nowhere and onto the screen, but ended up not doing so.  Another major ingredient included is the highly unsettling sense of realness that is depicted.  From the tone set in the containment area to the decision made by the military, nothing seems too farfetched.  The one of only few areas that fell short was the amount of surprises.  There really are none, but with the set up I'm not quite sure that any could have taken place.  A cure for the virus?  Maybe.  However, then there would be no way to make a '28 Months Later'.

Even without a large amount of surprises there are far more impressive things to be mentioned.  Once again the writers (none of which help write 'Days') have created characters that us the audience end up genuinely caring about.  These people bring with them elements of a drama film which is one of the things that made 'Days' interesting.  Visuals are another one of the best parts of the film with a very exciting and well-shot helicopter scene as well as cityscapes of the areas as they are destroyed that are just excellent.

With that said, I will admit the ending is a bit flat.  The feeling of accomplishment just wasn't there at all.  Even so, it's not so much about the ending as it is about what leads up to it.  There's no doubt that 'Weeks' is better than 'Days'.  It's a shame that there is also no doubt that it will get lost among the various other summer sequels simply because it wasn't as anticipated as 'Spider-Man', 'Shrek', & 'Pirates'.

OVERALL RATING: 

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau Jr, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, & Catherine McCormack Directed by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Written by: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Rowan Joffe, Eugene Lopez-Lavigne, & Jesus Olmo Produced by: Danny Boyle & Alex  Garland Rated: R for strong violence and gore, language, & some sexuality/nudity.

(click the play button to watch the trailer)