28 Weeks Later: DVD Review

I am not really into horror movies but I was impressed with 28 Days Later when I saw it on TV so I rented the sequel.
Unlike most sequels, this one does not feature the same characters as the previous film, which was a bit disappointing in my view. This movie stars Robert Carlyle as one of the survivors from a terrible virus that infected and wiped out most of England.

The movie starts 28 weeks before, when Robert Carlyle manages to flee a cottage near London where he was hiding with his wife and a small group of other survivors. After leaving his wife behind as he is sure she is either dead or infected (the latter would turn her into a merciless killer), our character manages to rebuild his life and we see him 28 weeks later, as the reconstruction has started in London, welcoming his 2 children that have just flown back from the U.S.

Life is very different now, with American military presence ready to act at the first sign of infection restarting and only some parts of London are safe to travel to. Robert Carlyle's 12 year-old son is now the youngest person alive on British soil and children being children, the 2 siblings decide to go on an expedition to their former house in the country so that the boy could get a picture of the mother he misses so much, and for doing so, they need to dodge military surveillance. While exploring the house, the teenage daughter discovers her mother, barely alive after all this time.

The mother, after being placed in isolation, appears as having being infected but does not show symptoms of being "one of them". She seems sane, however still dangerous as a live carrier of the deadly disease. What happens next is for you to discover as I am not about to reveal the end of the story.

I found some parts hard to believe (well, other than the disease part): how can foreign aeroplanes be allowed to land in a country that has not been declared 100% safe is one of them, the other one is how did Robert Carlyle manage to come in contact with his wife, he claims to rule the country and has keys for the whole building? Come on, a British, in a country occupied by U.S. militaries? I did not buy this for one second!

I found the movie very dark for long periods of time: when I watch a film, I like to see what is gong on. I liked the way some scenes were shot: when the infected attack, they are made to look animal-like. I also liked the intense soundtrack, which was actually the same as in 28 Days Later.

Also, I know this is supposed to be horror, but do I need to see someone having their eyes burst for more than half a second? Well in this case, I think less is more!

I did not like this film as much as I had enjoyed 28 Days Later. I have nothing against Robert Carlyle, but he could not beat Cillian Murphy or Brendan Gleeson.