Warm Bodies

There should be a warning at the beginning that the viewer should avoid using their brain during the film. Otherwise, welcome to a world where the emo virus has infected the entire world and only the antidepressant Julie can save it. A nice parody that at times felt like it was serious (a pity). Watch it with a group of people, a loud one, and you'll enjoy it. Alone in a gloomy room, probably not. Throughout the film you often imagine that the main character is rotting away. A weaker 3 stars. (20/07/2013)

It’s pleasing to see a romantic comedy whose protagonist has a reason to act as if he has been lobotomised. However, that’s about the only positive thing about Levine’s film. The self-referential potential of the fact that the film takes an inside look at the zombie subgenre is most consistently utilised during the opening credits, after which Warm Bodies just becomes a standard romcom that is only occasionally brightened by a flash of parody. Instead of being developed, the main and only novel idea is gradually crowded out as the film transitions from cynicism to pathos. Warm Bodies still could have been an entertaining lark if it hadn’t tried to appeal both to emo viewers (I’m a zombie, nobody likes me, but my soul is tormented) and nerds, for whom, however, it doesn’t provide enough pop-culture references or enough reasons to believe that it’s meant seriously. In many moments, the film is conversely serious to the point of incongruously and unreasonably demanding an emotional response from us, which is made very problematic by the fact that the guy doesn’t have a brain (or at least he behaves as if he doesn’t) and the girl has no charisma (or anything else that would distinguish her from other female protagonists in any given romantic comedy). I would like to see the same subject matter dealt with in a more daring way that doesn’t take the path of forced humanisation and that fully utilises the potential of the parallel between the behaviour of zombies and today’s mindless masses with a comparably acute lack of vigour. 50% (20/09/2013)

Actually, quite disappointing. I thought that with this premise Jonathan Levine would be able to put together something much better and tasteful than Twilight, which he did, but I still have mixed feelings about Warm Bodies. In some details the film is very nicely cynical (the way R “recognises” Julia through foreign memories), in others, it’s fun and self-aware (the joke with the Pretty Woman song), but overall it’s drowning in very unclear rules. If you start thinking about them, they don’t make much sense. That’s something that may be forgiven in a “romantic fantasy comedy” (I don’t know where else to pigeonhole it), but the feelings of cringe prevail. The fact that from the very beginning the main zombie character (because of the voice-over monologue) doesn't resemble a corpse acting on instinct but a slowed-down introvert, it’s something that didn’t fit in the overall concept of the film. But as an undemanding snack, it’s OK. 6/10 (14/05/2013)

Zombeo and Zuliet. A really original film (I know it's an adaptation of a book, but it's still original), which is kind of perversely entertaining and maybe even touching at times, the likable actors make it believable and the fine direction can easily cover up the fact that the ending is a terrible cliché. In short, it's a nice film about a living dead man in love, who comments aptly on what's going on around him, and when he gets embarrassed on a date, he'd rather die. For the second time.__P.S. There are a bunch of bonus features on the DVD, which is also a phenomenon. (06/04/2014)

Warm Bodies impresses with its unconventional concept of zombies and its story, which unfortunately has moments that are not fully illuminated or seemed illogical. On the plus side, however, the cast was mostly good – Nicholas Hoult looked fine as the main dead guy and Teresa Palmer is a likable character. In short, a mediocre film that is good to fill your free time, without having to think too much. (22/09/2016)