"Warm Bodies" - Film Review

Warm Bodies feels like a film that shouldn't work. It's harebrained premise seems too silly and lame to really amount to much. And certainly, there are elements to the film that fall flat. There are entire inner monologues from our protagonist all in the name of exposition or convenient thematic explanations. There's also a number of flashbacks that never fit in neatly into the film's storytelling. There are also a fair amount of things that feel too cute, too cloyingly attempting to be sweet and win us over. But as the film moves along you might just find yourself enjoying the film in spite of yourself. Sometimes a daffy, inscrutable charm is enough to carry a movie for the day, and Warm Bodies abounds in silly, syrupy charm and tone.

The film's central star-crossed, paranormal romance doesn't try to rise above its cliches embracing the obvious and inevitable relationship between zombie with a soul R (Nicholas Hoult) and human Julie (Teresa Palmer) who he rescues after falling maddeningly head over heels for her at first sight. We root for it to work out for these two crazy kids because the relationship is all very sweet and sincere. Watching R attempt to win over Julie slowly is far more fun than it has any right to be. If where all this is heading seems too obvious and predictable than this movie probably isn't for you, but it fits with the light subversion of the genre the film plays around with throughout. The film poses zombies as products of circumstances who only eat humans because its in their nature and not because they have anything especially against the human's they snack on. And the film finds a convenient way for an easy target to step up and take the place of the role of villainy in the freaky looking Bonies (zombies who've desiccated to the point where all humanity has been removed).

The film isn't anything special, but it's surprisingly entertaining. There's enough charm and sincere (refreshingly unapologetically so), easy going storytelling throughout the film to make it a pleasant if unassuming viewing experience.

Grade: B-