Film Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
For those who are purist fans of Jane Austen… this movie may have lost your interest after reading the title. But for those who love zombie flicks — and need a movie with a dash of romance to keep your date interested — then Pride and Prejudice and Zombies offers just that!
The movie is fun, with the first laugh of the film coming from the title itself. It is truly as ridiculous and wonderful as it sounds. Jane Austen crossed with zombies, you say? Sword-wielding zombie-slaying ladies in Victorian dresses?? Why not?! The film is based on the mashup of Austen’s 1813 classic and a parody novel released in 2009 of the same name; and this adaption of the Seth Grahame-Smith novel brings together two favorite things in popular culture – Austen and zombies.
The story plays pretty true to the original P&P, with the premise set in a parallel world where the black plague led to the zombie apocalypse. With only a handful of people left, the aristocracy have retreated to their country estates to defend themselves.
Children are trained how to slay the zombie hordes by studying with masters in Japan and China. Then upon return they also learn the delicate balance of how to behave properly at the dinner table and how to court a suitor. That alone ensures some awkward and comedic moments of the film as Lily James, who plays as Elizabeth, the strongest zombie slaying sister, attempts to find a balance between being a warrior and a lady. Additionally, Matt Smith and Lena Headey offer particularly strong performances as Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, which helps to carry the film through.
Mostly the film offers a good laugh and a fun movie date as the classic story is retold with the undead threatening every decision and event. The film does a fairly good job of convincingly bringing together the Pride and Prejudice storyline with zombies. Although the film doesn’t seem to always work but it will provide you with some jovial entertainment.
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