Movie Monday #7: Warm Bodies - Movie Review

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'd like to feature my review of:

Title: Warm Bodies
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco
Release date: February 1, 2013
Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

So, the hubby and I had a rare date night on Friday night, and I made him take me to see Warm Bodies.  I was really surprised with how empty the theater was, though, especially considering that it was the top grossing movie over the weekend, raking in a cool $20 million.  It was also surprising because it was a perfect date movie:  a sweet romance for the ladies and a bit of blood and gore for the guys.

The movie was every bit as witty and clever as the book.  Honestly, I think they did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.  The airport full of zombies was exactly what I was picturing while reading, as was the safe haven for the survivors.  And the casting was pretty great, too.  Nicholas Hoult was the perfect R, equal parts awkward and sweet, and I loved seeing R come to life.  (Pun totally intended.)  And, gawd, Rob Corddry was hilarious as M.  I would never even have considered him as an option for that role, but damn if he didn't do it proud.

You know what really struck me about the movie, though?  How very Romeo & Juliet it was.  There were shades of that story in the book, but it didn't seem as obvious as it did in the movie.  Case in point:  our star-crossed lovers are named R and Julie.  Then there's R's zombie friend M...Mercutio, anyone?  And Julie's late boyfriend Perry who taunts R through his memories, making him the equivalent of Paris.  But the real kicker?  The balcony scene.  I'm not sure if it was the author's intent for his story to be a somewhat reimagined version of this classic tale, but either way, it works.

Best of all, my husband really enjoyed the flick, too.  =)  And we saw the trailer for The Mortal Instruments, which I've really been on the fence about due to certain casting, but after seeing the trailer in full, I might have been swayed.  I'm still not feeling that casting choice, but I will reserve judgment until I've seen the movie.

So, have you read Warm Bodies?  Did you see the movie?  How do you think they compare?

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Labels: from book to screen, isaac marion, movie mondays, movie reviews, warm bodies, zombies