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| Bella Heathcote and Lily James |
We've seen plenty of version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," though never with zombies attached to it. The unevenly slow mashup, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (or "PPZ" as some call it for short), based on Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 parody novel of the same name, has a handful of fun moments in spite of a painfully talky, lugubrious narrative that's too self-aware and lacking in vigor. A mysterious plague has fallen upon 19th century England, the land is overrun with the undead and feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry. Casting aside personal pride and social prejudices, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) must unite on the blood-soaked battlefield to rid the country of the zombie menace and discover their true love for one another. Directed and written by Burr Steers ("Igby Goes Down"), "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is a mildly entertaining, handsome production that uses Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" universe to battle the undead. Unsurprisingly, as with many mashups such as this, not everything works well with the draggy "PPZ" in spite of a few energetic fight scenes; the comedic wink-wink moments, especially with the subplot of attempting to marry the sisters off, falls very flat. Grahame-Smith's novel (who also wrote the parody mashup novel "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" that was turned into a better handled 2012 film) steered from the Austen narrative considerably, and Steers veers it off even further, and fans of the novel will notice that much has changed in the film version. "PPZ" isn't designed for purists, who should stay away, but for zombie lovers, who'll likely be disappointed there isn't enough of the undead and its associated graphic violence; it's peppered with a few good moments (a few heads roll but that's about it), but an extremely sluggish middle act and a very messy last act and climax don't help things, not to mention James and Riley are the blandest Elizabeth and Darcy in any Austen universe, with a little bit (and just a very small amount) of "Game of Thrones" Lena Headey, as a very odd Lady Catherine de Bourgh. In spite of its kick-butt appeal, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is a mixed bag, and I'll strive not to judge too much - it is what it is - but what is there could've had much more bite.
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