Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Overlook Theatre Reviews: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

7 of 7 viewers "Liked" "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" (USA, 2016)
Here's what the creatures had to say:

Huntress - "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies definitely isn't a horror movie, but does have several horror elements, which was a nice change. Zombies are used so often that they've lost their intimidation, and I loved seeing them used as a commonplace part of life. This movie looked great and I look forward to owning a copy of it." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies requires its viewers to both enjoy Jane Austen and zombies in order to truly enjoy the experience; this double niche prerequisite is the future for modern cult films." - 3.5 Stars

Book Wyrm - "I wholeheartedly enjoyed this film. It was fun to watch as a fan of Pride and Prejudice, but also as a fan of horror romance movies. I thought they kept to the source material well enough that it was still "Pride and Prejudice" but also added in enough touches to make it uniquely funny. I thought the people portraying the characters did a great job and that the zombies, while very CG and weird looking, didn't really bother me. I would totally go and see this again!!" - 5 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "This one is definitely for Austen fans. The near rotor and dialog is remarkably faithful to the original story. Everything new feels fun but not overpoweringly so. There are quite a few moments where the wit and charm of the characters are perfectly blended with this new zombie infested world, though I could have enjoyed even more. I'm not even sure this movie would be that different if you took out the zombies, but they were a welcome curiosity to an old story. Everyone holds down solid performances and special kudos to Matt Smith's bumbling parson." - 3.5 Stars

Math Mage - "Exactly what it says on the tin. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies." - 3.5 Stars

Ice Giant - "I loved this movie and was very surprised by how much like the Jane Austen book it really was. The zombies and violence weren't over done at all, it was a perfect blend. Unlike a lot of other people I went in expecting this movie to be good which can be a fatal mistake but it does not let you down. I think even Jane Austen would give this movie her seal of approval." - 5 Stars

Dabbles - "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a really good period piece. The action is not too overwhelming and works well with the drama within the story. The zombies themselves are very different than the ones we see in other films or shows which makes this movie another one to add to anyone's collection of zombie films." - 4 Stars



The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*
(Below is for after you've seen the film)

I often write about Highbrow vs Lowbrow or Entertaining cinema vs Interesting cinema or even just Movies vs Film. The amazing thing about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is that it manages to tap into both fields of cinema and walk the line confidently.
The most resounding complaint about this modern take on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is how closely it remains to the source material. I would argue that holding the original literature so close gives the film an air of pretension that on a whim can turn to a wink. Although I’m sure the studio saw it as palatable platform for their female viewers who may only be interested in light zombie action and heavy romance. It is no coincidence the film was released so closely to Valentine's day and, to the filmmakers credit, even the most thick skulled male stereotype will have enough zombie/female flesh to at least stay interested.
One of the most interesting things about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes from their treatment of the zombie apocalypse, which is explored by a culture unaffected by film and is dramatically portrayed within the film as a  Michelangelo-esque painting. This new exploration is perfectly met with the unparalleled arrogance of high class society in an alternate 1793, where women are looked down upon for studying the more effect martial art (Shaolin), instead of the assumed more costly upper class training from Japan. These moments of Austen/Zombie symmetry are sparse but very effective.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

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