Orgullo + Prejuicio + Zombis

I know most people who love PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen are furious about this movie even existing, let alone being successful. But I actually liked it a lot!

I know the original classic fairly well (I'm a former high school English teacher and a current college librarian) and I was astonished almost from the very beginning at how much of the dialogue comes direct from Jane Austen's novel. All of the issues that really matter and the conflicts that draw the reader into the novel are still very much alive in the movie. It's just that they are juxtaposed against the horror of the walking dead.

I can't say enough about the good looking young (and not so young) cast members. I was absolutely blown away by how seriously Lily James and Sam Riley took the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Both of them are so skilled at projecting courage and integrity combined with deep feelings and hidden pain. They never seem silly even when they're doing very silly things, i.e. cutting each others' clothes to bits in a sword fight. Bella Heathcote and Douglas Booth as Jane Bennett and Mr. Bingley are almost as good, and I have to say, visually they are absolutely perfect as the characters from Jane Austen's novel. And the supporting players are absolutely outstanding! You just cannot go wrong with Charles Dance as Mr. Bennett. His performance is exactly what you would hope for in a serious adaptation. Though that's true of every actor in the cast, really. Lena Headey is an exquisite Lady Catherine DeBurgh, though her character is ultimately just a little more sympathetic towards Elizabeth than she is in the novel. Even Jack Huston, who has been a hero of mine ever since his epic role as disfigured World War One veteran Richard Harrow in BOARDWALK EMPIRE, is an effective villain as Mr. Wickham. Best of all is Matt Smith, who takes the thankless role of the hateful Mr. Collins and turns it into an irresistible Peter Sellers style comic explosion. He's that good.

Let's face it, a Jane Austen zombie movie is not for everyone. But if you're willing to be open minded and you enjoy great acting, comedy and romance, this just might be for you. The sword fights are exciting, the love scenes (including the arguments) are authentically romantic, and the blood and guts are never really that gross. Oh, and if you do go and see the movie, make sure to stay through the closing credits, because the last joke of the film is really the best!

Genreally, I like zombie movies a lot because of their post- apocalyptic vibe.

Normally though, I find the genre comes in 2 distinct flavours; serious stuff like "28 Days/Weeks Later" or campy B flavoured offerings like "The Scouts Guide To The Apocalypse".

This movie however defies the genre. The closest comparisons I could make would be "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" or "Penny Dreadful" but with more humour. It follows the story of Pride and Prejudice so closely I kept looking for Keira Knightly to appear.

The production quality however is what surprised me the most; it's incredibly high with great sets, realistic costumes, lighting and cinematography. There was a lot of attention to detail.

This is a very unique and interesting mash-up which I quite enjoyed. I am surprised it's not rated higher on IMDb but I believe it deserves a watch regardless.

This honestly surprised me.

It goes without saying I was not expecting much from this movie. I have seen various Pride and Prejudice movies before today and did not enjoy any of them out of sheer boredom. Nothing against those movies or their quality but it just wasn't my kind of movie. I assumed that this would be no different and that it would just be the same exact story with a few zombies sprinkled in.

And to an extent, it was exactly that, but there was much more depth to the zombie plot than I anticipated. The zombies were a very large part of the story and even when there was romantic drama there was still a close focus on the zombie aspect. There is always that underlying tension that zombies will strike.

The visuals were not the best but were still very well done. The make-up and effects for the zombies were much higher quality than I thought they would be. And the atmosphere kept a good mix of an old Pride and Prejudice feel while also adding a new element of dark zombie-apocalypse tension that I loved seeing.

There were a few parts that I rolled my eyes at, especially when things got a bit too dramatic between the lead characters Darcy and Elizabeth, but all in all it was a good movie that I enjoyed.

Very surprised to say I give this movie an 8/10.

Watched A Parody of my favorite Period Romances Pride And Prejudice And Zombies a decent Performance by Lily James(Cinderella) as Elizabeth Bennet. Bella Heathcote(Dark Shadows) as Jane Bennet, Matt Smith(Doctor Who) as Mr.William Collins,Douglas Booth(Jupiter Ascending) as Mr.Bingley, Suki Waterhouse(Insurgent) as Kitty Bennet, Ellie Bamber(The Musketeers) as Lydia Bennet ,Sam Riley(Maleficent) as Mr.Darcy, Jack Huston(American Hustle) as George Wickham and Charles Dance(Your Highness) as Mr. Bennet , featuring Lena Headey(300 : Rise Of An Empire) as Lady Catherine De Bourgh. The film is very touching romance also its thrilling in a dramatic way also it was brilliant story of not passing opportunities when they are given also Amazing Production Design By David Warren(The Zero Theroeum),, Costume Design By Julian Day(In The Heart Of The Sea) and Screenplay/Direction By Burr Steers(17 Again) A Hilarious Parody Of Jane Austen's Classic Novel 7/10

Greetings again from the darkness. For those high school Literature teachers struggling to get their students to embrace the classics from writers like Jane Austen, this movie won't help much. However, chances are good that those same students will enjoy this blending of 19th century British class warfare with "The Walking Dead" – likely one of their favorite shows. The zombie apocalypse has landed in the middle of Austen's prim and proper story, including the repressed attraction between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

Anyone expecting the serious undertones of Ms. Austen's1813 novel will be disappointed … but the title should have provided a pretty solid hint. While her characters and general story line act as a structure here, it's really based on Seth Grahame-Smith's YA hit novel … delivering zombie battles and often zany humor. Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down) directs his own adapted screenplay and seems to really be having a great time – right along with his talented cast. The sets, costumes, dialogue and fight scenes work together to create an unusual movie experience that will generate plenty of laughs while not dwelling on the zombies or violence (it is PG-13). Expect most critics to destroy this one because it's made simply for fun, not for art.

Of course, any Pride and Prejudice spin-off (even one with zombies) must pay particular attention to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. It turns out that Elizabeth and her four sisters are highly trained warriors raised to survive against the undead. It's even clearer for Mr. Darcy as he is billed as a zombie hunter and protector of Mr. Bingley, the rich bachelor hooked on Jane Bennett. Things get muddled by the devious Mr. Wickham, a focused Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and especially the flamboyant fop Parson Collins. The interactions between these characters bounce between loyalty, romantic attraction, emotional turmoil and hand-to-hand combat … with enough comedic elements that most viewers will find plenty of opportunities to laugh.

The talented cast is all in. They play it mostly straight (with one major exception) to achieve the balance between somber and silly. Lily James ("Downton Abbey") and Sam Riley (On the Road, 2012) are both fun to watch as Elizabeth and Darcy. They are the film's best fighters … both with swords and words. Bella Heathcoate (Dark Shadows, 2012) is "the pretty one" Jane, who is wooed by Douglas Booth (Noah, 2014) as Mr. Bingley. Lena Headey ("Game of Thrones") makes an impression in her limited screen time as an eye-patched Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Jack Huston ("Boardwalk Empire") is well cast as Wickham. Screen veterans Charles Dance and Sally Phillips take on the role of parents to the five Bennett daughters, but it's Matt Smith ("Dr Who"), who turns the film on its ear with his unconventional twist on the oddball Parson Collins, who pretty much steals each of his scenes. He had those in the theatre laughing out loud more than a few times.

Pity is the word that comes to mind for any young man who takes these Bennett girls to the prom … or more likely to one of the societal balls. The weapons hidden under their formal gowns offer fair warning to zombies and handsy suitors alike. It's this element of strong women (physically and emotionally) that might even allow Ms. Austen to appreciate what's happened to her characters … were she alive to see it.

Even though the film offers plenty of fun with laughs and action and romance, let's hope it doesn't kick off a new zombie-adaptation trend. Here are a few titles that we hope never see the big screen: Sense and Sensibilities and Zombies, War and Peace and Zombies, Crime and Punishment and Zombies, The Old Zombie and the Sea, Wuthering Zombies, Romeo and Juliet and Zombies, and Alice's Adventure in Zombieland.