Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Its hard to believe that Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice could ever possibly be combined with something as uncivilized as zombies, but the movie Pride and Prejudice and Zombies proves that idea wrong. The two ideas fit together seamlessly in the 2016 action/romance/comedy film directed by Burr Steers. The title characters Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) interact beautifully in Victorian England overrun by zombies while still managing to be both comedic and romantic. With a moderate budget of $28 million, this elegantly shot movie is sure to win any audience over with either its witty dialogue or thrilling action. This movie is based on the 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith which is based on Jane Austens 1813 classic Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies jumps right into the action and manages to justify the presence of zombies in Victorian England without any clunky exposition or narration, leaving viewers feeling refreshed. It is evident right from the start that Elizabeth is a strong female character that marches to the beat of her own drum, refusing to give up here advanced weapons training in exchange for a domestic life as a married woman. Elizabeths love for the deadly arts is matched by her fierce loyalty to her sisters, making the audience feel as connected to the family as she. Lily Jamess stunning performance as the determined Elizabeth gives life to this tale of the undead. Her performance is rivaled by Sam Rileys stoic Mr. Darcy and the rest of the stellar cast including Doctor Whos Matt Smith and Game of Thrones Lena Heady and Charles Dance. The entire cast has an impeccable talent for comedic timing and delivery providing a nice relief from the horror of the plague that afflicts the country. The story takes all the main plot points from Grahame-Smiths novel and creates a cohesive, streamlined narrative. Unfortunately, the final act of the movie is not as successful as its preceding acts. Though still enjoyable, plot points begin to feel forced or convenient. There were a couple cases of Elizabeth ex Machina, that show the writers becoming a touch lazy toward the end of the film, but they do not detract from the movie as a whole. The ending is entertaining and exactly what a romance movie enthusiast wishes for while still appealing to the action fan, particularly the mid-credits scene.

Underperforming at the box office, grossing about $10 million, critics were generally unenthused by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It earned an almost respectable 42% fresh rating from RottenTomatoes.com. Critics were intrigued by the interesting premise, but were ultimately disappointed in the movies indecision concerning what genre to which it belonged. Audiences, however, found this quirky adaptation to be entertaining and thrilling. They thoroughly enjoyed the comedic timing and the compelling performances from the movies actors. They also appreciated how the film did not take itself so seriously as to lose its light-hearted yet gripping theme. Where critics found flaws in the movies lack of seriousness, audiences learned to approach this film as a work of humor and entertainment rather than a work of cinemagraphic art. I find this movie to be something unique among blockbuster action flicks, sappy romances, and dimwitted comedies. It blends genres stunningly to create a film unlike any other. From Elizabeth and Darcys slow burning but ever-present romance to gory zombie massacres, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is subtle and blatant in all the right ways. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a fantastic movie for anybody who loves a good laugh, romance, or zombie.

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