28 Weeks Later (2007, UK/Spanish)

I originally planned to steer well clear of 28 Weeks Later, as I love the original, and a sequel that doesn't involve any of the original players nearly always spells doom. However, there were some interesting, even positive, reviews during the theatrical release, and Robert Carlyle is always fun, so why the hell not?

Unfortunately, my original wariness was probably the correct response. Despite the presence of Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Harold Perrineau, and Idris Elba, the story puts two children front and center, which is NEVER a good thing in a sequel. The Mummy Returns, anyone? (Yes, it's a cheap shot, but this is a zombie movie we're talking about here.) Despite a promising opening - Carlyle saves himself from an attack by leaving his wife and a little boy in the hands of the infected - and a very political plot thread that compares the refugee return to London to the aftermath of Katrina, this is really just another zombie chase film, and the material was much, much stronger the first time around.