Review: Warm Bodies
Participants: Bobby, Bryan, Jon, Sean, Drew, Joe, Shane
Initiator: Bryan
Bryan:
An “A” of any kind is out because I’ll never own it. B+ movies for me are really intriguing and I want to see them again. I waivered between B- and B for Warm Bodies, but settled on a B- because it was a pretty good movie, but was missing enough comedy or intrigue to get a B.
I went into Warm Bodies thinking it was going to be a spoof of some sorts. I’m still not sure if it was. The big selling points for me were the main character’s dialogue, the soundtrack, and some of the silly humor. The music was enjoyable and definitely filled in for the lack of dialogue well. The main character’s description of events and dry take on being a zombie was pretty funny - I chuckled a couple times. I can’t help but laugh at the easy stuff like playing catch with a zombie and the ball simply drills him or the two zombies grunting at each other at the bar.
I could have watched 90 minutes of over the top zombie comedy and come away more pleased. I think the film lost it’s way about 20 minutes in.
My biggest gripes with Warm Bodies are the following:
1) John Malcovich’s character is boring. Why did he even take that role?
2) I’m not sure if the chase scenes were trying to be intense or funny, but they seemed like filler to me.
3) The scene 2/3 of the way through where she stops in the burbs after being chased by zombies was terrible. Another one of those things were it’s like a zombie spoof, but not really because nothing bad happened. She was making relatively rational decisions (besides dating a zombie) until then.
Maybe I missed something or forgot some scene I really liked, but after this review I’m sticking with a B-.
I'm going with a B for Warm Bodies. It got several strong laughs from me, a couple moments drew me in emotionally, and though I have a few complaints, they don't break the movie. I think Bryan's right to call it more of a comedy than a thriller or a romance, though it attempts to be all three. It could've been much worse, seeing as it piggybacks on the trend of some kind of teenage supernatural creature's relationship with a human teenager. I think the movie realizes how stupid its premise is, and is able to laugh at itself, which is where most of its charm comes from.
ReplyDeleteWarm Bodies's greatest asset is the lead actor, Nicholas Hoult. He was the kid in About a Boy, he's Beast in the new X-Men movies, and he was amazing in a British teen TV show, Skins. If he isn't great here, the whole movie falls apart. I totally bought him as a zombie. He shuffles consistently well, he has great control of his face, and he's great at conveying how hard it is for him to remember words. His internal monologue is funny, and his timing is solid. Like Bryan, most of the rehashed comedy bits worked for me. A joke I always love is when someone psychs themselves up into doing something, does it poorly, and then thinks to themselves, "Nailed it." I've seen that joke a lot, and the version of it they do here works just as well.
I'm iffy on the zombie mythology, and I'd like to hear if it bothered you guys at all. Essentially, a zombie can think themselves back to being human. I'm relatively ok with it, but I could understand if that's a bridge too far. Like most zombie movies, there's a metaphor there about drifting through life without making a connection, and I think that's a fine theme, but the equivalent is a movie about a cancer patient wishing away their tumors. Again, it didn't really bother me, but I can imagine it bothering someone else.
I'm with Bryan on the soundtrack/score being strong, and John Malcovich being mostly wasted. A more serious movie would've had him be the ultimate bad guy, like in 28 Days Later, but this much lighter movie didn't know what to do with him. One think I loved is how easily Dave Franco is forgotten about. There's not really a big blow-up once R reveals to Julie (I think that was her name) that he's been snacking on her boyfriend's brain. People die all the time in this world, and it'd be too much for the living if they dwelt on it too much.
Bryan pinpoints Warm Bodies losing its way about 20 minutes in, which is about when the humans show up. If the zombie portion is done well, did you all think the human portion was its equal?
By the Hawks rule (see ratings description in spreadsheet), no bad scenes and two good to great scenes (ending montage, zombies' hearts beating when looking at hand-holding poster), so Warm Bodies gets a B. What'd you think, Drew?
Thank you, Jon. Nice thoughts. As for me, I agree with Bryan for the most part. Malcovich's role was to be the leader of the humans - more or less the guy who thinks a good zombie is a dead zombie. He clearly can play the jerkface dad well and that is his value in Warm Bodies. That is not to say it is a good value but that is what he brings to the table.
ReplyDeleteHoult was great. The movie relied upon him and he carried it as well as he could. Rob Corddry, "M," "R's" best friend, did well in his supportive role. Their interaction at the beginning was funny and his ability to lead a group of other zombies was random but impressive.
I particularly liked the dry humor spots mainly due to my dry sense of humor (not Norm MacDonald at the Roast of Bob Saget dry, mind you). The narration throughout was a key bright spot.
Warm Bodies is a movie we should not try to over analyze. It was released one year ago today, which means it was meant to be for the Valentine's Day weekend. In other words, it's a cutesy, date movie. It has moments where a guy can enjoy it but more geared toward the girl who goes "awwww." That is my true take on it.
Overall, it is not a bad movie but not a great one. It would be a great date movie or one that could kill time on a rainy or snowy Saturday.
My grade: B-
Agree that A is out of the question. Based on the movie's genre and concept it is virtually impossible to come out with a "great" movie. But, for its drama- teen date movie and concept- zombies need love too Craig!- it was a great movie for what it is. Initially I gave it a B+ because I thought it reached it's potential and was the best movie that it could be.
ReplyDeleteBryan's gripes
1-Malkovich took the part because casting director said we can shoot all your scenes in a day and a half and we really just need you to be really John Malkovichy. Him, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken are mostly cast these days to play themselves. Sidebar- Walken did a great Walken in Seven Psychopaths. The other humans in general could've used another 15-20 minutes for development but then the movie length would be an issue.
2-I guess I didn't have any feelings about the chase scenes, I wasn't on the edge of my seat (not what I think they went for sense this is more romantic comedy that happens to have zombies) but I didn't think it was filler I wasn't pushing for them to move on.
3-My problem with that scene was her reaction when he told her something she already knew. She shut down and then ditched him. Even if she left him to protect him they could've covered that with a quick "Why'd you leave without saying goodbye?" "I didn't want my dad to shoot you in the head" dialogue when they reunited.
I'm with Kissel in that the concept of the "cure" not bothering me. Can you really complain about it when the concept of a zombie apocalypse is fantasy anyway?
The ending montage, especially zombie baseball and Rob Corddry trying to hit on the chick with the umbrella were worth a half letter grade boost.
In summation though, points brought up with the other humans and Malkovich in particular mean the movie didn't quite reach it's fullest potential so I'd drop it to a B but very close to B+.
You guys are pretty spot on with this movie and its pluses and minuses. With the influx of zombie type movies/shows, it's difficult to get overly excited about them. This was, however, a film I wanted to see since I first learned about it.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree on Malkovich's role here... it was boring, and probably beneath him. All the normal humans who weren't Julie were pretty dull and unimportant. I think that was one of the bigger downfalls of the movie. Their side of the story just wasn't any good. Malkovich just happens to be a big name that didn't have a part he could elevate into anything better. I suppose they could have at least shown him eating a rare pack of Oreos, just to amuse me.
Other than the humans, my other criticism would be as follows. I think there could have been a bit more to the story, and that they got caught in the middle of a spoof/comedy and a romance/drama. Which, may have been their intent, it just felt like it could have been something more. Maybe I just wanted more of R being R. And as much as I liked the relationship between R and M (Rob Corddry), I really didn't like Corddy's job as a zombie. Maybe it's because Nicholas Hoult was fantastic and no other zombie was going to match up. It's a minor gripe, though, as he did what he was supposed to do... made me laugh a little.
The chase scenes were nothing more than chase scenes, to me. They didn't have any emotional pull or overt humor... and I didn't think they tried to be anything special.
Maybe I'm missing something in the criticism of her stopping in the burbs or their interaction in the house... but it seemed fine and rational to me. In any apocalyptic state, the night time is known to be dangerous and shelter/supplies are the priority. Also, the general nods to Romeo and Juliet have a bit to do with their little love story... the clashing families, mixed feelings/commitment, etc. Those scenes played out fine for me, nothing great, but nothing damaging.
I think it's the zombie mythology, or alteration of it, that boosts the grade for me. We've seemed to always just accept that zombies are no longer people... they're either dead or diseased, but certainly not human. Even more so, we always see zombie outbreaks from the human/survivor perspective. The biggest appeal for me, when the previews first came around, was the that we get to see all of this happen from a zombie's perspective... that zombies even have a perspective! In that regard, Warm Bodies nailed it for me.
I liked that the zombies were disconnected, gradually drifting further away from being anything resembling a human. I liked the element of the boneys, that once that disconnect reaches a point, even zombies can recognize the loss and fear it. I really enjoyed the fact that they gave a reason for zombies preferring brains...and an entertaining one at that. If it wasn’t for all of this and the strong perspective, I probably would have been in the B- (if not C+) area as well.
I gave the movie a B+. I considered an A-, but just couldn’t say that it was that strong of a film. I clearly enjoyed it, but the lack of anything worthwhile from the humans and the feeling that it wasn’t everything it could be left it short of the highest tier. That could change, as it’ll be a movie I watch again at some point.
Finally someone mentioned the Romeo and Juliet connection. It took all the way to Bob for someone to figure out the main inspiration for this train wreck of a movie. There were two redeeming qualities to this flick. First, Hoult was entertaining. Although, I was very disappointed he did not break out in to song with a zombie version of "Killing Me Softly." Second, I have a crush on Teresa Palmer.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I must admit that the whole zombie craze thing really doesn't do it for me. But, I didn't let that sway me from having high hopes before hitting play. Besides, it was listed as a comedy, and they wouldn't take it too serious. Problem was, there weren't a lot of laughs. Outside of the "Nailed it." quote, there wasn't much there.
I really did want to like this movie. But I couldn't. The dialogue was lame. Zombies did the P.E. shuffle one second, then they apparently hit the "X" button to get their sprinter speed burst. Hell, John Malkovich didn't even do anything that was John Malkovichy, which is probably the most disappointing aspect of the movie.
Perhaps if I were to find myself in a college dorm room with some coeds drinking every time a zombie mumbles, would Warm Bodies get a decent grade from me. But, alas, that is not the case. Warm Bodies earned itself a solid C-. I was close to a D+, but I would never do that to Teresa Palmer.
I'm pretty in-line with Sean on this one in that I think this is a B+, almost A- movie. I actually watched it a second time and found it was even more enjoyable, kicking it up to the B+ grade.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would consider this a romantic comedy, which is usually right up Joe's alley. Probably not enough Hugh Grant for him, though. In general, I don't get too excited about rom-coms, but this one was quirky enough to keep me interested. A B+ for a rom-com is pretty high-praise I think. Were there a bunch of LOL and ROFLMAO moments? Absolutely not. But I don't need that to appreciate the humor and irony in the movie. I prefer to laugh like I cry: in my mind when no one is looking.
There were some problems, though. Marcus's development happens pretty fast and his dialogue was a bit inconsistent. But on the second watching, this didn't bother me as much. One thing that bothered me was that he got stabbed in the heart as a zombie, but his body was just fine when he came to life. His shit shouldn't have been functioning. I can't let that go, but I'm willing to pass on taking it too seriously since it's not a pertinent part of their mythology.
As far as the shuffle, if all of the zombies are like R, they're bored as hell. Just wandering around in a painful silence. They're not in a hurry because there's really no where to go. Since food is scarce, I imagine sprinting takes a lot of energy and is generally avoided. This doesn't bother me.
I think the opening scene was so well done that maybe the rest of the movie felt like a bit of a let down. But it really set up a lot of the later scenes. I enjoyed the focus on every day activities that we take for granted. The point that we're nothing without relationships isn't always an easy point to make without being corny. I think they succeeded here because they added in the dimension that relationships are fucking hard. They're hard to start and they're hard to maintain. Opening up isn't easy. R is so relate-able because we all probably have that same awkward inner dialogue when starting a relationship, whether romantic or friendship wise. Seriously, how many times have you said something and thought it was well-accepted, then thought to yourself "Nailed It." His thoughts are the best part of the movie. Is the plot an A plot? No. But his inner-dialogue is an A level to me.
And the soundtrack was indeed excellent.
I guess I have to comment on John Malkovich. It was a bit of a weird role, but he did just fine. It must have been a pretty personal project for him.
Well reasoned arguments. I'm ready to move on to the next movie. I cede my time to Jon.
ReplyDeleteThe Setnors bring up good points about world-buliding. Did R turning back into a human heal all the chest-holes he accumulated during, and likely before, the movie's events? Why are the bonies able to take down well-armed soldiers, but don't stand a chance against R with what I thought was bike basket? They were as deadly as the movie needed them to be, which seems like weak writing.
ReplyDeleteHadn't thought much about Corddry, but the likely reason for that is his mis-casting. I think the movie treats him as more of a straight man who reacts to R's out-of-the-norm antics, when his strength is more the unstable guy from the Daily Show or Childrens Hospital. Also, what's so great about Teresa Palmer? I don't think I've ever seen her in anything else, and she didn't make a huge impression here. I preferred her interesting-looking friend, to be honest.
These are only quibbles I had. The B grade stands. I'm glad we mostly liked the ending montage, as it got me a little teary (this happens a lot to me, so be prepared for some Kissel soul-baring as we progress) and was by far the best scene. Worth pointing out that the director, Jonathan Levine, also did 50/50, one of the best movies from 2011 and on my list for Mediocre Reviews in the future. Glad we'll have something to compare it to when that pick happens.
I have little to add. I stand by my grade of a B- because of its "date movie" notion. Sean, on to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm good, and 50/50 was good and I cried my balls off
ReplyDeleteMy only thing to add is a small tidbit that has been bothering me the past couple of days...
ReplyDeleteThe humans had enough wherewithal to build a giant wall and clearly had technology, but they never did any studies on zombie sentience? SMDH