Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austens tale of love and classism has now taken a very new turn in the adaptation of Seth Gramme-Smiths parody novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Burr Steers, the director of 17 Again, helms this quirky and violent take on the classic story, and it stars Lily James and Sam Riley. So, the real question is, does this film manage to deliver a quirky parody, or does it fall flat?
Despite the mostly negative criticism this movie seems to be getting, I gotta say I had a really good time with this movie. Going into it I hadn't read the books (the original or the parody), so I didn't really know what to expect. But the end result is a really quirky, violent, and all around entertaining film. The writing in this movie is really on point, blending the story of Pride & Prejudice with a zombie story so much its almost seamless. The contrast between Jane Austen style storytelling and a zombie story is so jarring that you can't help but find it entertaining when a fancy dance party will be interrupted by a zombie horde.
A huge part of the entertainment factor, and arguably the glue that holds this movie together, is the actors. The actors in this movie all do an amazing job of playing it straight in this movie, which is - to me - something pretty commendable. The actors - especially the two leads - are both really good at delivering an absurd or really odd line, but saying it like it's the most legit, real thing they've ever said in their life. So to that, this movie has a surprising kind of Wes Anderson quirk appeal, as well as an action appeal.
If there's anything I'd have to fault this movie for - and there is - It's the third act. This is when the movie stops being Jane Austen and turns into a total zombie gorefest, which in itself is a lot of fun to watch. However, this movie suffers from a rare problem where one quality is so good that it almost overshadows everything else. The stuff in the first two acts, where classic Jane Austen scenes are mixed with a zombie story, is amazing and really well executed And while the third act isn't bad, in fact it's also good in its own right, it's greatly overshadowed by the amazing first two acts.
Final Rating
Despite the third act, this is still a very entertaining and really funny movie. If you're looking for entertainment, you're gonna get exactly that, this isn't a movie for the Oscar crowd. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is an entertaining movie, and it's well worth seeing for the first two acts alone. If you're into zombies or Jane Austen, and want a good hour and a half of entertainment, go check this movie out.
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