THE DEAD TIMES

RATING:

ZOMBIE RATING:

DESCRIPTION:

In the 19th century, a plague, brought on the back of import ships, was unleashed upon England, ravaging the countryside and turning the majority of this island-nation's inhabitants into crazed undead. The British army, led by Colonel Darcy, valiantly hold back the dead but the only truly safe area is London, defended by a mammoth wall. Elizabeth Bennet, a martial arts expert and master of oriental weaponry, is thrown into the world of Colonel Darcy, a man she hates due to his cold, arrogant behaviour. When the undying rise in greater numbers, Elizabeth and Darcy must put aside their differences, joining forces on the blood-soaked battlefield of the dead.

MY VERDICT:

This is the next movie in the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter trend - the one where classic tales are given disturbing new twists. Now it is the turn of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and, while the addition of brain-munching Zombies can only improve things, the film is a decidedly average screenplay. There is some fantastic imagery of the British Army facing off against the hordes of unmentionables - the label given to Zombies in more polite company. I also admire the writer for maintaining the overall narrative of Pride & Prejudice while intertwining it with a fun-filled Zombie story complete with unique 'Four Horsemen of the Zombie Apocalypse' concept. The Zombies themselves are not the "traditional" mindless hordes, instead being semi-intelligent, laying traps and even talking. To be honest, this put me off a bit - I would have preferred true Romero style wanders - although it was explained in the story so is no reason to completely forgo this movie. The only real downer, and this may be my own bias shining through, is that there is too much quaint 19th century Pride & Prejudice and not enough gore-soaked, Zombie slaying action.