“Pride & Prejudice & Zombies”— a film adapted from the book written by Seth Graham-Smith based on the book written by Jane Austen— shambled into theaters this past week. “Pride & Prejudice” is a beloved classic by the clever and incomparable Jane Austen. “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” is something much different.
The film follows the basic plot of the novel. Elizabeth Bennet, the second oldest of five sisters, faces pressure from her overbearing mother to find a suitable husband before she gets too old and becomes a spinster. After meeting the cold and aloof Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth and he begin a complicated dance of will they or won’t they, with more than a few obstacles thrown their way.
“Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” is basically the same concept, but with zombies. Instead of Mr. Bennet looking to improve his girls’ refinement and social skills, he sends them to China to train in combat. Instead of gathering for tea and light reading, they practice hand-to-hand skills against each other. Though they still attend balls and tea times, these events have become peppered with the occasional attack from zombie hordes.
I’ll be honest, not many critics liked this movie. It only has a 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. But I loved it. Though the plot isn’t completely in line with the original, and, a few holes still exist within it, it’s still wildly entertaining and features some unique scenes and characters.
The twist on the plot allows for some seriously cool scenes to take place. For example, the opening scene involves Mr. Darcy arriving at tea and using flies to identify which attendee has actually become secretly infected with the zombie virus. Another scene later in the film features Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy having a disagreement that turns into rather well choreographed fisticuffs.
The Bennett sisters are also as fierce as ever. Even when going to a ball, they don’t forget to hide away a few daggers under their dresses before heading out. Elizabeth in particular is an inspiringly strong heroine, as she has always been, but even more so when fighting zombies is thrown into the mix. Though her younger sisters may still worry about finding a suitable husband, Elizabeth isn’t as concerned, saying, “I shall never relinquish my sword for a ring…the right man won’t ask me to.”
Yes, it’s not a perfect film. Sam Riley’s Darcy wasn’t the strongest interpretation of the character. The conflict didn’t seem fully developed or detailed. But the fight scenes were well done, the acting overall was solid, and the characters were certainly unique. Overall, the movie was entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Honorable mention: Matt Smith’s Mr. Collins. Popular for his role on Doctor Who, Smith explores a much different type of character in Mr. Collins and pulls it off exceedingly well. Never have I wanted so fervently to leap into a screen and tell a character to shut up than when watching his scenes. In a good way.
