Adds a gruesome second chapter
By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
Rating: ++
out of ++++
Running Time: 109 minutes
This film from Sony Pictures opens exclusively at theaters on Friday, Jan. 16.
Last year saw the release of a surprise 28 Days Later sequel 28 Years Later, arriving some 18 years after the previous entry in the series. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has been announced as the second chapter in a new trilogy, continuing the new storyline about a quarantined Britain filled with Rage-virus infected maniacs and a few communities of survivors. Since this feature serves as the middle of the overarching story and doesn’t offer an emphatic finale to the story, in several respects it is quite difficult to determine its overall effectiveness. But based on what I witnessed, this follow-up had a rough first half, before presenting a few fresh ideas and compelling elements in its later sections.
At the end of the first picture, young Spike (Alfie Williams) is separated from his community and family. He is discovered by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and his crew, but this is far from a welcome rescue. Lord Jimmy is immediately revealed to be a violent psychopath. He and his unquestioning minions (also referred to as Jimmys) raid the fortified homes of survivors and slowly torture them. Spike is horrified by what he witnesses, but knows he will be slaughtered if he protests.
While he endures this company, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues his work at the Bone Temple, an ossuary paying homage to those who have died from the virus. The physician encounters Samson (Chi Lewis-Perry), the Alpha among the infected, and attempts to learn more about the condition from the dangerous figure.
Truth be told, there are few new characters to root for in this effort. Of course, Spike is the protagonist in this extended story, but he really is relegated to the background after being forced into Lord Jimmy’s gang. While one can see the firm hold this leader has on his disciples and he offers a grimly amusing comment or two, the antagonist and his cohorts are inhuman killers from the moment they appear onscreen. The movie is incredibly graphic when they attack victims. Of course, this is a horror picture and one should expect nastiness, but it’s pushed to the point where extended scenes of torture feel like a slog.
The second major storyline occurring at the same time involves Kelson at the temple. We see and learn much more about the character (including his intense enjoyment of the music from an 80s new wave band), and witness the physician’s attempts to learn more about the infected, including the threatening Samson. Despite possessing more moments of dark humor, many scenes involving the powerful, infected figure are just as brutal to endure as in the other storyline.
Truth be told, the first hour of the picture borders on being too unpleasant. And besides the use of a camera situated on Samson and pointing up at his face as he darts around, this movie doesn’t deliver many visual innovations. The first couple of films featured clever, handheld camera effects that added scope and authenticity to the events, and the previous chapter employed high frame rates and upgraded bullet time effects through the use of iPhone technology. This effort simply doesn’t have the same visual panache as previous chapters. It can only hover on the violence, which may be why it feels exceedingly gloomy early on.
But despite the oncamera nastiness and issue of Spike fading into the scenery, things do improve as the two plot threads intersect. Kelson forms an unlikely connection with Samson and this tangent goes into a new and interesting direction we rarely see in genre films involving zombies or the infected. When Lord Jimmy and the crew discover Kelson, their interactions are unpredictable and the final act plays out in a thrilling manner. And, of course, there are some intriguing themes being addressed throughout the story. Several human characters are as bad as the infected. While this is not a new idea, the presentation and use of Samson is unique.
And anyone who enjoys these pictures will be thrilled by the final scene, which offers plenty of promise should the story continue in a third and final film. Honestly, it took me some time to come around to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. It feels like the brutal, early sections of the film are an endurance test, but the final half did include dynamic elements that began to win me over. If all of the continuing elements can be brought together for a satisfying finale, I might have to raise my rating. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds.
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