28 Weeks Later (2007) or, Fast Zombies in England 2

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The blood-red poster for Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's 28 Weeks Later

The zombie virus from the first film has left England a wasteland. Now American forces are trying to re-establish the country, - but disaster strikes again.

The nearly doubled budget, compared to its successful predecessor, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002), means (especially) more alone-in-the-world scenes and an expensive fire-bombing-scene of London here in the inevitable sequel. The sequel also employs documentary-style photography.
Weeks, co-written by its Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intruders (2011)), Rowan Joffe (Before I Go to Sleep (2014)), Enrique López Lavigne (El Asombroso Mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo (2004)) and Jesús Olmo (Flores Muertas (2004)), is intensely frightening and at times disgusting.
But on the down side, its score by John Murphy (Snatch. (2000)) is monotone, and an annoying subplot with kids also weighs down the film.
Boyle was busy with Sunshine (2007) at the time of the making of the movie and therefore left the directing to Spanish Fresnadillo, known at the time for the Spanish mystery film Intacto (2001).
Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting (1996)) stars in 28 Weeks Later alongside Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker (2008)) and Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids (2011)). But these bigger stars can't conceal that the movie isn't nearly as good as 28 Days Later.
It was a hit though, so another sequel is in talks.

Related review:

28 Days Later (2002) or, Fast Zombies in England

The mediocrity of 28 Weeks Later is apparent in its trailer

Cost: 15 mil. $

Box office: 64.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.28 times the cost)
[28 Weeks Later premiered 26 April (London) and runs 100 minutes. Shooting took place in the UK, including London and Wales, and in Paris, France, ending in September 2006. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Spider-Man 3, to a 9.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#4) and grossed 28.6 mil. $ (44.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 10.6 mil. $ (16.5 %) and Spain with 4.5 mil. $ (7%). It was nominated for 2 British Independent Spirit awards. As of July 2010, the film has sold 1.3 mil. DVD and Blu-ray units in North America alone, accruing another 24.3 mil. $, which, if added into the theatrical gross, would change the film's status to that of a 'huge hit'. Fresnadillo returned with Intruders (2011). Carlyle returned in The Last Enemy (2008, miniseries) and theatrically in Stone of Destiny (2008); Renner in Take (2007) and Byrne in Just Buried (2007). 28 Weeks Later is fresh at 71 % with a 6.6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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