Reviewed By Scott Weinberg
When your $8 million movie grosses more than ten times that amount across the globe, the topic of "sequels" is going to come up. Such was the case surrounding Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, a freakishly fun (and admirably harsh) piece of sci-fi horror from one of the planet's most consistently eclectic filmmakers. But while Mr. Boyle had other fish to fry, in a directorial sense, he and partners Andrew Macdonald (the producer) and Alex Garland (the screenwriter) were not content to hand the series off to just anyone and rake in some easy residual checks.

They decided on which direction the sequel should go and then they enlisted a filmmaker with only one film under his belt (it's called "Intacto" and it's quite good) -- because they saw something in that one flick that they really liked. And (yes, I'm getting to the point) I'm of the opinion that they made the right choice because Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's 28 Weeks Later, while not quite as fresh, moving, or ice-water invigorating as its predecessor, is a damn worthy follow-up to an unexpectedly excellent chiller.

Fans of the original who walk into the sequel hoping for a "next day" sort of chapter might be disappointed at the outset, but those folks will certainly be patient enough to discover what Weeks has to offer: a pounding pace that keeps the action and the mayhem flowing smoothly, while finding small pockets of "down time" so we can catch our breath. Once the premise is set up and the rules are laid down, 28 Weeks Later moves like a gore-strewn rocket, plummeting the fans through an impressive collection of hardcore attacks, chases, escapes and kills. Yeah, a whole lot of kills, several of which come right out of nowhere and leave you wondering ... did they just kill off THAT character? Whoa.

As the title implies, 28 Weeks Later picks up seven months after the initial outbreak so gruesomely depicted in Boyle's film. The U.S. military has stepped in to help re-populate a small section of London, and to say that security is tight would be kind of an understatement. (Although security is surprisingly lax during one key scene; it's one of the flick's small-but-nagging plot holes.) Robert Carlyle plays a high-end maintenance man who's enjoying a long overdue reunion with his pre-teen son and daughter -- and is desperately trying to forget how he left his poor wife screaming in terror as throngs of "the infected" overtook her. (He wussed out is what he did, basically.) But a few plot developments arrive early on, none of which I'll spoil here, and let's just say the "rage virus" is back in full force. And it's just as contagious, gruesome and sticky as ever.

The last half of 28 Weeks Later is little more than run, jump, bite, chase, scream, bleed. (Oh and there's a scene with a helicopter you just won't believe.) If the movie lacks a real "rooting interest" and if the character development could best be described as "skimpy," the director makes up for those shortcomings by delivering a deserted London landscape that's as chilling as it is fascinating. (Plus, just as in Boyle's film, many of the non-violent moments are strangely beautiful to behold. At the very least, it's a look at London you've never seen before.) The cast is quite strong, even if you don't get much face time with any of the actors: Robert Carlyle is quite good as the guilt-ridden dad, Jeremy Renner plays an instantly likable and reluctantly heroic sniper, Harold Perrineau does what he can from the inside of a helicopter. Even the kids (Mackintosh Muggleton and Imogen Poots) are good!

So to answer the most obvious question: No, the sequel is not better than the original. But really, did anyone out there expect it to be? No, the best we could realistically hope for was a follow-up that would do the original proud and perhaps stand up on its own two feet. 28 Weeks Later does both of those things surprisingly, nastily well. I know some people will gripe about the "shaky cam" approach, but that's just part of the series DNA by this point. Plus I happen to think a little chaos goes a long way in a movie like this. Not without its faults, 28 Weeks Later is simply a harsh, dark and refreshingly fast-moving little piece of apocalyptic horror. I gave the original a 5 out of 5, because I think it's borderline brilliant. This sequel's a solid 4 right on the nose ... which is certainly good enough for this horror geek.

--So that was my review after seeing 28 Weeks Later just prior to its theatrical release, and now that I've enjoyed a second visit via DVD, here's just a few new thoughts:

Damn, this is a good movie. I think I'm such a big fan of the first entry that I approached the sequel like a miner searches for gold (or perhaps jewels) -- I was perhaps "dissecting" the movie moreso than I was "enjoying" it. But that's the beauty of multiple viewings -- and why we bother collecting DVDs in the first place! Anyway, I'm getting off-topic. While I'd still contend that Boyle's original is the overall better film, I'd also have to add the qualifier "...but not by a whole bunch." The Weeks crew takes just enough time to ease you into the relative "realism" of the premise before ... whammo. Horror hits on a monumental level, and it really just doesn't let up till the end credits. If 28 Days Later was Alien (which it isn't, but stcik with me), the 28 Weeks Later is full-bore Aliens. A quicker, meaner and sleeker ride ... yet not really as scary (and disturbing) as its predecessor. Needless to say, both Days and Weeks would make for one helluva double feature. Just be sure to cap it off with something light and funny; these aren't just sci-fi horror flicks. They're captivatingly bleak and aggressively unpleasant tales. And that just makes 'em that much more fun. Here's hoping the third entry can keep up the pace.

DVD-wise, the flick's a keeper. The film is presented in a sterling anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) transfer, and yes, it's meant to look like a documentary from hell. (I know the films' visual style is not for all tastes, but I think it works really well in these two flicks.) Aurally, we got Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (optional Spanish and French Surround tracks are also included), and the sounds are quite lucidly gruesome. My advice is to watch the movie loud! Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

And now for the goodies! Although it doesn't have any sort of "special edition" or "unrated director's cut" on the DVD cover, rest assured that Fox has delivered a fine DVD indeed. First up is an excellent audio commentary with writer / director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and writer / producer Enrique Lopez Levigne. The pair keeps the information coming fast and furious. It's not the loosest track in the world, but fans of the film will no doubt enjoy it. Juan and Enrique return with some optional commentary on a pair of deleted scenes.

Three quick and informative featurettes come next: The 13-minute "Code Red: Making of 28 Weeks Later," the 7-minute "The Infected," and the 7-minute "Getting Into the Action." You can guess what each mini-doco covers, but I can tell you that some of the interviewees include Danny Boyle, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, producer Andrew McDonald, and actors Jeremy Renner, Robert Carlyle, Catherine McCormack, the lovely Rose Byrne, and several others. Ah, plus the very cool 28WL theatrical trailer is thrown in, too! Nice little bonus! Just for that I'll mention the extra trailers for Fox's 28 Days Later, The Hills Have Eyes 2, Lake Placid 2, Pathfinder, Perfect Creature, and Wrong Turn 2.

But wait, there's more! Already it's a pretty stocked disc, but you'll also get two VERY cool digital comic books. The first one is "The Aftermath: Stage 1 -- Development," which covers what happened RIGHT BEFORE the first movie, and the second on is "The Aftermath: Stage 3 -- Decimation," which covers ... well, I'll just let you watch it for yourself. Adapted from the very cool graphic novel of the same name, these nifty digital versions run 7.5 and 5 minutes, respectively. Very cool little bonus, if you ask me.

So it's not only a more-than-worthy sequel to a VERY good piece of crazy sci-fi horror, but 28 Weeks Later is also a damn good apocalyptic thriller in its own right. The audio-visual specs are aces across the board, and the extras are well-produced and pleasantly plentiful. Obviously this is a disc worth adding to your collection.