Warm Bodies

Release Date: Feb 01, 2013 
Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min. 
Director: Jonathan Levine 
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, John Malkovich, Dave Franco.

Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy comes back to life. In a bizarre twist on a traditional love story, "Warm Bodies" is not your typical zombie movie. But then again, this is not your typical zombie. Based on the creatively-infused novel by Isaac Marion, comes a reimagined apocalypse that is far from dreary. Nicholas Hoult plays "R," a recluse residing amongst the fellow undead in an abandoned airport. After a routine trip to the city to feed on the living, he meets Julie, a strong-willed girl with a loaded gun, and is instantly enamored. As oddities would have it, R gradually starts to transform in ways assumed impossible and in return, offers a quirky introspection from the view of the undead. For a film that heavily involves a lot of grunting and inner narratives, it's endearingly funny when it needs to be. Hoult as the awkward teenager, and a dead one at that, is charmingly sincere in his attempts at affection, and oftentimes it's his vacant gestures that speak louder than words. Similarly, Rob Corddry gets a lot of comedic attention with his one or two-worded phrases, spoken as whispers but effective nonetheless. While books usually have the upper-hand in thoroughly cultivating a story, Levine does a balanced job in translating to film. The steady insight of R and his portrayal of humanity are what really bring a fresh approach to a tired genre, giving depth to something so unexpectedly new. In a way, this may be a drawback for those who are gung-ho about flesh-eating zombies, as there is some but not a whole lot of rigorous feeding. In addition, it's not like "Zombieland" as many perceive it to be, less focused on action-comedy than it is on romance. Regardless, "Warm Bodies" finds a happy medium between the two, comfortably funny and heart-warming as well. Though we've had our share of vampires and werewolves pining for love, it's the lone zombie that determinedly trumps them all. Go figure.

Rating: 4 stars