28 DAYS LATER... (2002)

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Screenplay by: Alex Garland

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Noah Huntley, Brendan Gleeson

Full of post-apocalyptic hysteria and high jinks, 28 Days Later... cries out for a tie-in video game or comic book. Jim (Murphy) wakes up from a coma in his hospital room to discover that everyone is dead, that the city is deserted. Soon after, he learns everyone's been killed by a mass plague (caused by a virus called "Rage") that turns its victims into homicidal maniacs. The plague's few survivors are left to defend themselves against roving and rapacious gangs of Rage zombies. Jim teams up with a tough-as-nails broad and a little girl (whose father succumbed to the disease) and, together, they fight off evil, mindless Rage hordes as well as a small platoon of horny soldiers eager to re-populate the world. Boyle mixes elements of Mad Max and Night of the Living Dead and comes up with a wild cocktail of campy, gory fun. Just don't scrutinize the plot too seriously; that can kill the buzz.

Runtime: 113 min.

Rating: R

Jay Antani © 2006 Perihelion Journal