Warm Bodies Review

Can a motion picture blending two of the most well-worn genres in cinema still surprise and compel?
When it comes to the realms of cinema, few genres are more recognisable to a modern viewer than those of romance-comedy (rom-com) and apocalyptic motion pictures, simply because we see new instalments of both of these appear on a regular basis. For Summit Entertainment and director John Levine to try and tackle both of these cliche-ridden narrative formats at once, then, with Warm Bodies is a particularly risky venture. In the interest of time, though, I'll first impart you, dear reader, with some unexpected news- for the most part, they've succeeded.

First and foremost, it's Warm Bodies' innovative take on a potentially predictable narrative which makes it such a charm to watch. Initially, the concept of a zombie, R (Nicholas Hoult), attempting to rekindle his human side in the midst of a dystopian world where the undead are being hunted down in swarms seems all too familiar- indeed, BBC3's impressive supernatural dramas In The Flesh and Being Human have dealt with that kind of territory in strong measure. Soon enough, though, the storyline takes an inventive turn, surprisingly utilising its sub-genre assets from the realms of the rom-com to shake things up in a way that fans and/or haters of the apocalyptic genre likely won't have seen coming.

Perhaps one of the strongest omens for the state of the film industry right now is that this motion picture can succeed so magnificently with such a modest cast. Yes, Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class), Teresa Palmer (The Sorceror's Apprentice, I Am Number Four) and John Malkovich (RED, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) are known well by their respective fanbases, but they are undoubtedly B-list stars in terms of fame, and yet I'd happily see this charming and talented trio back in action faster than I would the likes of Johnny Depp, Vin Diesel and Jason Statham in every other blockbuster. If Warm Bodies is a sign of things to come, with more subtle and thought-provoking productions on the horizon, then it's a positive omen indeed.

It would be churlish to call Warm Bodies a complete success, though. Certain elements of the narrative such as the 'skeleton' antagonists, John Malkovich's father-daughter relationship with Palmer's love interest Julie and the growing emotional discord among the undead are arguably underdeveloped come the movie's climax, which perhaps rob the piece of the well-rounded structure which its climax appears so eager to make evident. Also, those actors and actresses placed in the roles of stereotypical anti-corpse soldiers aren't given much to do in terms of notable dialogue content or indeed narrative action, so while the main cast is undeniably strong, it's a shame that the same can't always be said of the supporting members of the ensemble.

Nevertheless, the core sentiment which you must take away from this review is that Warm Bodies certainly deserves a viewing amongst your upcoming potential DVDs to stick on in the evenings. If you'll forgive the cliche, its quality lies in the beating heart of its narrative, a truly charming script that plays on the implications of apocalypse and rom-com narratives in an innovative and compelling manner. Warm Bodies has become one of the minor highlights of this reviewer's viewing experiences in 2013, and I have no doubt that it will do the same for other followers of the blog should they give it a chance to do so.
4/5