Warm Bodies (2013) & This Is 40 (2012)

In Warm Bodies, after R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship  hat sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

And This Is 40 takes a look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up.



Warm Bodies

Hardly brain-dead

The resemblance is uncanny

Let's get this out of the way first: Yes, it's a romance between a zombie and a human, but it is far from being Twilight with Zombies, like we all feared. Its well acted, especially by Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, who manage to convey the strange developing romance between their characters very well, selling the overall premise rather than making it some creepy necrophiliac film. The mix of humor, horror and romance all feel well integrated together, as opposed to becoming one large and uneven clash, which feels obvious when you see it was directed by Jonathan Levine, who managed to greatly blend dramatic and humorous moments in his last film, 50/50. The characterization is handled well and the film gets extra points for originality. However, you won't encounter many surprises as the film is pretty predictable, the effects on the Bonies aren't always convincing, the laughs don't come as frequently as you'd hope and, despite being a good actor, John Malkovich barely makes an impression in his generic role. Despite these, Warm Bodies is definitely the sweetest zombie apocalypse there is.

This Is 40

Admit it, you read the title in Gerard Butler's voice from 300

"For the last time, we are not
watching The IT Crowd"

A sequel to Knocked Up focusing on the leading female character's sister and husband may sound like a curious concept, especially considering the temptation is to return to the original characters in their continuing lives. The stellar cast manage to bring great performances along with a heap of laughs, all while sharing great chemistry with each other. The familial moments manage to feel sincere, becoming one of the films highlights, along with Melissa McCarthy short appearance that makes as much of an impression as any actor who appears for the majority of the running time, and delivers some of the films best lines. Despite this, the laughs manage to miss more often than they hit, with a couple of the actors' attempts coming off as more awkward than humorous (Charlyne Yi, i'm looking at you) and Maude Apatow perfectly channeling the annoying nature you'd find in the average 13 year old. The film runs for too long, dragging in many places, especially towards the end, and overall feeling like an extended edition for the proper film. While it wasn't a wasted journey, maybe it's best we bid adieu to Pete and Debbie than return for a look at their lives at 50.