Thoughts on Pride & Prejudice and Zombies

I enjoyed Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, though it could have been better. I enjoyed the scenes of the Bennett sisters fighting zombies, training with each other in hand-to-hand combat while exchanging dialogue about proper decorum, joking around, and being supportive of one another. The film had an awesome animated opening sequence, and I really liked a duel scene between Lizzie and Darcy. That scene had wit and charm and a spunky life to it. And I really liked the performances of Lily James as Lizzie (headstrong and intelligent), Matt Smith as an awkward suitor, and Lena Headey as a badass eyepatch-wearing zombie hunter. The story idea was fun and clever, and it seemed like the actresses playing the sisters were having fun with this twist on a typical English period drama.

The negatives were the casting of Sam Riley as Darcy. His acting was dull and boring, and he was miscast for the role. The first two thirds of the film were fun to watch, but the last third was a drag. It was dreary-looking, and lost the momentum of the film's pairing of horror with comedy. I already guessed the villain's surprise reveal long before it happened, and I just stopped caring. I also wanted to see more teamwork with the sisters throughout the film, not just focusing on Lizzie and Jane and forgetting the others.

And since I ragged on Natalie Portman last week, I will give her good credit for co-producing this movie, as it was a smart choice to be a part of this film. Two points for her.