Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Starring Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth

Directed by Burr Steers

The Story:
In 19th Century England, mothers are worrying about having their daughters marry wealthy men, the social classes come to odds, and zombies roam the London countryside.  For Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and her sisters, it's a great time to be alive.  Not only have they trained in the deadly arts in China, but there's plenty of action to be had.  Of course, her mother simply wishes for them to be married off.

She meets some possible suitors at a ball, including Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth), who immediately is smitten by Elizabeth's older sister Jane (Bella Heathcote), and his friend Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), a no-nonsense Colonel who's more involved with killing zombies than putting a ring on anyone. 

As the social classes interact, the zombies seem to be growing more advanced and intelligent, and Elizabeth and Darcy will have to put their differences aside and fight together to save London from the coming zombie apocalypse.

The Synopsis:
When I was in college, my roommate made me watch the entire "Pride and Prejudice" miniseries.  I don't remember much about it, just remember asking if there were any explosions, deaths, or excitement.  There was none.  Then I heard author Seth Grahame-Smith wrote a novel called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."  Being a zombie lover, I was excited that this otherwise dull novel was going to add some excitement and fun to it.

Then they announced that a movie was going to be made, and I was ecstatic.  Even though another novel similar to this ("Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter") was a dud, I figured I'd like this more because...zombies!  I was not disappointed as I found the film to be entertaining and a great mix of classic elegance and zombie action.

That's not to say this film is stellar.  It tried too hard to be PG-13 when it should've been R, and it shows in the very lackluster zombie kill scenes, mostly shot so darkly that you couldn't really see what was happening.  Still, it had zombies so I couldn't hate on it that much.

Lily James steals the show as the no-nonsense battle-tested warrior Elizabeth Bennet, a female heroine on par with Buffy, Ripley and Michonne.  She can don an elegant pageant dress and decapitate zombies with finesse, and her natural acting ability makes her an endearing character.  While the other characters often blend into the background, she steps forward and takes the cake every time.

Director Burr Steers takes careful detail in every aspect of the story, showing great respect for Jane Austen's masterpiece.  Every costume is stitched to perfection, and the set pieces are works of art.  This helps take us to this magical world, where it seems zombies are far from the norm.  Seeing the Bennet sisters sitting around sharpening their weapons as their mother talks about the importance of marrying a rich suitor was hilarious, and one of the best parts of the film.  Despite it being a dramatic period piece - as well as a action-packed zombie horror - there's still room for humor and light hearted moments that shows the dry wit and humor of the characters involved.

The Summary:
While it's not as elegant and sweeping as the original source material, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" craft an exciting story featuring elegance and excitement set against a beautiful historic backdrop.

The Score: B+