A comedy movie about zombies does not really seem like it would go together very well, as zombies are more known for being in the horror category. Yet, somehow a zombie apocalypse ends up being very funny as my two favorite zombie movie happen to be comedy movies. Of course it ends up being one that has a little bit of everything. While initially I was very hesitant feeling like it would be another one of those supernatural love story movies that would be considered boring for most male movie goers. Warm Bodies ended up being a movie that twisted everything you might expect in a zombie movie. I loved that Warm Bodies took something like a zombie apocalypse and questioned what could be done for zombies with a "cure". Warm Bodies gives us the story of "R" a zombie who is narrating the story for us and the way that he ends up falling for Julie a human he comes across while out hunting with a pack of zombies for food and contrary to what he should have done he ends up saving her life. From that point he begins to fight against the zombie infection. Warm Bodies ends up being in a way a genre movie in and of itself as it has a little bit of everything and yet it does not feel to overly mashed in.
Nicholas Hoult plays "R" our unusual zombie and he plays the role nearly perfect. Hoult does a great job parodying the awkward teenager full of anger and angst and only happens to be a zombie. As a zombie he mimics the way actual teenagers have a tendency to act. His inner dialogue that we hear throughout most of the film since he is unable to talk, we receive a good portion of the comedy, this inner dialogue made for great one-liners and moments. Teresa Palmer plays Julia our human "damsel in distress" whose not as helpless as the girl is in most romance relationships of a movie. she was really enjoyable on screen and continues to improve in each movie I see her in. The chemistry between Hoult and Palmers worked well as they feel awkward in the beginning and the audience feels it right with them then as they grow to know each other better we feel the sparks that happen. The supporting cast give strong performances as I really enjoyed Rob Corddry as "M" and the friend he is with "R" at the beginning as they would just grunt to communicate to the zombie bromance that takes place between them by the end. The supporting cast all work well on screen and I really would have liked to have seen more of John Malkovich in his supporting role.
The story for Warm Bodies was one that I really enjoyed which really surprised me at the beginning with what I initially thought of the movie. What worked for Warm Bodies was the simplicity of everything. They did not try to be too complex, but kept all the reasoning so straightforward that it allowed me to sit back and enjoy and not have to overly think about anything. I really enjoyed how in a way Warm Bodies was a parody of human relationships and romance. Within the story we were given a new level of zombie as they were classified as the human zombies and the ones that were beyond everything and just called "Bonies" as they were truly not more then bones and muscle. Warm Bodies took the zombie movie and flipped it on its head to give the story. As the story progresses and due to the inner dialogue we are given a picture of a zombie character that in the end is not much different from what the average human teenager longs for and desires. The musical score only added to the vibe of the movie as it in the end played on the parody of the Rom-Com perfectly with the different choices of music.
The action sequences in the film are simple and thought out and I believe for the most part are all done live without a green screen. I may be wrong, but it seems that the "Bonies" were the only major CGI needed parts of the film. The comedy that went along with the action scenes though really worked somehow perfectly. As everything was building up for the climax of the film the comedy Rob Corddry brought as "M" kind of lightened everything again, but also just fit perfectly with everything Warm Bodies was trying to accomplish.
Warm Bodies was the zombie movie that I did not expect to like or even want to go see after the first trailer. Yet, it is one that I really looked forward to seeing simply for the zombie part and the comedy feel it had. The acting was strong and the chemistry just worked somehow. The simplicity of the story melded perfectly with the romance, action and comedy. Although, it is still early in 2013 Warm Bodies is my surprise enjoyment movie of the year and because of that I am giving Warm Bodies three and a half buckets of popcorn out of five. Warm Bodies was a movie that was well worth the price of a movie ticket for me.
-The Movie Man
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