There are romantic movies, and then there are romantic movies that involve less-than-natural beings. In the case of “Warm Bodies”, it’s less-than-alive. But we’re suckers for movies like these so the moment we got a chance to review it, heck, why not?
“Warm Bodies” is cleverer than you think, really – a bit like your modern day “Romeo and Juliet”, if you may. Julie (played by Teresa Palmer) is a daughter of a zombie hunter (played by John Malkovich) and against all odds, she finds herself strangle attracted to the last person thing she should be attracted to on Earth. And it’s none other than R (played by Nicholas Hoult). R has no memories, no identity, no pulse – he’s a zombie.
Oh, and he also killed Julie’s boyfriend, Perry.
Note: “R” is also a nice play at the name “Romeo” and “Julie”, “Juliet” don’t you think?
Then city in which the movie is set in is a post-apocalyptic America where humans and zombies are not the only ones in a constant tug-of-war of survival. There are also the “Boneys” – living but charred-looking skeletons that were once zombies but have since gone way past the point of salvation. And clearly, these three “races” can’t exist in harmony.
So while people are busy fighting off zombies who are all out to eat them, R meets Julie one fine day. Although R is a zombie, he finds that he doesn’t want to eat Julie, a human. Instead, he automatically feels like he’s inclined to protect her.
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Hence, he takes her back home with him. And as you would have it, the duo eventually falls in love. Because he loves her so, he’s convinced that he can change, that he can breathe again and live – just like Julie.
But the odd coupling has so many things to worry about when they chose to be together. For one, Julie’s father hates zombies with a vengeance. As a matter of fact, he’s the leader of all zombie haters. Cue the Shakespearean Montague and Capulet similarity in “Romeo and Juliet”.
The good thing is, their unlikely relationship begins to cause transformations not only themselves but also in all that surrounds them. Something begins to change in the zombies, like a sudden calm in the storm.
How does it all end? Will “Warm Bodies” take on the tragic finish that it was somewhat modeled after (Romeo and Juliet)?
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Find out when you catch “Warm Bodies” in a cinema near you!
