"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
In 19th century England, a zombie outbreak has ascended onto Jane Austen's classic tale relaying tangled relationships, class divides and gender inequity. Geared more towards Jane Austin fans and perhaps not as absorbing for hard core zombie aficionados; the 1813 novel has been reimagined to modernise its female role models for todays women.
The updated Elizabeth Bennet is a master of martial arts and weaponry. Along with her four sisters, the Bennets beautiful costumes are adorned with thigh high slits to accommodate their ass kicking, over-the knee boots.
In parts the film is pretty gruesome and is inflated with jump cuts, gross-out humour and experimental angles. The opening scene for instance includes a first person camera shot of a zombie slaying.
Despite being an action film, it is the solid performances that pull the picture together. As the increasingly cleaver undead alongside a classic tale of securing appropriate suitor begins to trip itself up.
After taking on the part of Disneys live action Cinderella, Lily James stars as Elizabeth Bennet with a deadpan emersions of the worlds that encase her. She has a believable and likable demeanour despite having to take on excessive amounts of dialogue direct from the Austen novel.
It may be a one note joke but the tight shot, fast action and weapons stuffing garters sequences makes this film amusing. With a February release date and a distinct title, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies deliver exactly what the title promises.