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Pride and Prejudice and Zombie - Movie Review

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2 stars

The 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith gets the big screen treatment (after a series of delays, setbacks, and a cast of changing actors) but the end result – a frenzied mess of stitched together and remarkably sullen clichés regardless of the genre - is simply not worth the price of the ticket.  Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is a horror movie – much like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – that is good in title alone. 

And, once again, that is unfortunate. 

After an engaging opening, the rest of Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is just zombie hordes and romantic bunk, which is doomed when you consider what, cinematically, could have been in this zombie-fied retelling of Jane Austen’s classic story.  It is the same with the novel, which are simply Austen’s words with zombies sprinkled through it to spice it up.  It’s remarkably clever but, in all seriousness, I know of no one who actually made it past the first few chapters of the book.  The entire gag is short-fused.

And that’s a big problem here.  From the very beginning, the film simply doesn’t get past the joke in its title. On one hand, you have the romance and, on the other, you have all the zombies.  The end result is a lavish clichéd-ridden production that cheats itself out of any sort of satisfaction because it’s neither campy nor scary enough. 

Director Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down and 17 Again) rewrote much of the script, making sure the Pride and Prejudice connections where solidly in place as Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) swoons for Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) while a mysterious plague overtakes 19th century Britain and causes the dead to rise again.  Except nothing in the actual script is as tight as the corsets are as familiar characters go toe-to-toe with zombies in want of more brains. 

Even Mr. Wickham (Jack Huston) is unable to lie and cheat his way safely out of this one as the thick wave of the undead (in era-friendly garb, mind you) are the only relief.  And then you realize that even the horror is all so very, very basic and, dare I suggest, a bit of a bore.  The fact of the matter is that this is a one joke idea that just doesn’t extend – when flattened into a 90-minute movie – past its opening few lines. 

There are a few bright spots in the flick, of course.  The very deadpan reading of Doctor Who’s Matt Smith – as the Rev. Mr. Collins – is simply a hoot and a half and, if you have to sit through the flick, will bring about a smile.  His ability to shine through the rest of the soft-focused muck and mire is something to celebrate.

Being neither funny nor scary enough, Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is its own dead end.

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[tab title="Film Details"]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombie - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for zombie violence and action, and brief suggestive material
Runtime:
108 mins
Director
: Burr Steers
Writer:
Burr Steers
Cast:
Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Bloody Lovely ...
Memorable Movie Quote: "To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind... well-read... and accomplished. But to survive in the world as WE know it, you'll need... other qualities."
Distributor:
Sony Pictures Releasing
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/PPZMovie
Release Date:
February 5, 2016
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
May 31, 2016
Synopsis: Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England is faced with a new challenge -- an army of undead zombies.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombie - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 31, 2016
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles
: English, English SDH, Spanish
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); UV digital copy; Digital copy
Region Encoding: A

Alright, so the digitalization of the movie is obvious from the get-go (and might pull some viewers out of the picture from the very start of all this madness) but the MPEG-4 AVC 1080 p transfer of Pride + Prejudice + Zombies from Sony Pictures far exceeds its theatrical release. Details are sharp and set designs are impeccably handled by the transfer. Presented in 2.40:1, the aspect ratio has only been altered a bit and does not detract from the overall cinematic experience of watches babes in 19th century England battle the undead. Colors and environments are strong and the sound – fully realized here in an engaging DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack – delivers each and every meaty blow with strength.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

Only the curious will check this out and, trust me, beyond an initial viewing the film just doesn't hold up. The supplemental material; however, doesn't suggest that. Full of interviews with the cast, deleted scenes, and a Line-O-Rama featuring Mr. Collins, the blu-ray unexpectedly delivers a strong collection of supplemental material that will attract some. A UV Digital Copy is also included.

  • Gag Reel (2 min)
  • Deleted Scenes (12 min)
  • The Badass Bennet Sisters (4 min)
  • Courtship, Class and Carnage: Meet the Cast (7 min)
  • From Austen to Zombies: Adapting a Classic (6 min)
  • Creating the Unmentionables (3 min)
  • Mr. Collins Line-O-Rama (3 min)

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