Warm Bodies
Most zombie stories are totally predictable. People get infected; zombies take over the world; the few human survivors struggle to kill them, which usually isn’t that hard because they move very slow (unless we’re talking about 28 Days Later). But this—Warm Bodies—based on a novel of the same name, is something totally different. The main character, played by Nicholas Hoult, is a zombie. But he’s sort of a zombie with a heart, and when he meets a cute girl, his heart starts beating and he starts to become more human. Soon all the half-dead zombies realize that love will conquer all and they struggle to overcome their current state.
Perfect For: Twilight fans, zombie aficionados, and girls trying to get their boyfriends to sneakily see a rom-com in the guise of a zombie movie.
What the Critics Say: So far, they like it. Writes the Hollywood Reporter: “The low gore quotient and emphasis on young love might disappoint genre purists, but for those open to the idea of a gently goofy mash-up, the film is strong on atmosphere and offers likably low-key, if somewhat bland, charms.”
And writes Variety: An inspired mashup of zombie heart and romantic-comedy brains, "Warm Bodies" offers a welcome twist on the living-dead canon, even if the decidedly femme-skewed results ignore pretty much every rule of the genre.’
Our Take: Totally looks sweet and funny.
Bullet to the Head
Apparently, you don’t ever retire from being an action adventure star. You just keep starring as muscled brutes. That’s the M.O. for Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone, who is the star of this latest paint-by-numbers actioner. Based on a graphic novel, Stallone is paired up with a DC cop and forges an unlikely bond to avenge deaths of both of their partners. It’s got traces of buddy comedy in its coursing, bulging veins.
Perfect For: You like car chases, you like Stallone, you like things that blow up? Go.
What the Critics Say: It’s not going to win any Oscars but it’s pretty decent for what it is. And, not to mention, kinda funny. Writes Variety: “To claim the dialogue is written to comfort the narratively challenged would be mere quibbling, as the pic's chief pleasure lies in its store of funny lines, which Stallone tosses off with genuine brio.”
Our Take: Great for the diehard action adventure and Stallone fans. It’s not a not-miss.
A Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
A sequel to a movie you didn’t even know existed, A Haunting joins the long line of “Honey, we’ve bought a haunted house,” movies. In this, a family of three, including a little girl, move out to the country near the woods to get away from it all. Turns out the house is a historic station for the Underground Railroad used by the slaves in the south. And, it turns out the place is haunted. A total shock.
Perfect For: Horror fans with low standards, and people who can’t watch Paranormal Activity one more time.
What the Critics Say: Their mamas must’ve told them if they didn’t have anything nice to say they shouldn’t say anything at all, because they’ve not reviewed this movie.
Our Take: See Warm Bodies instead.
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