Zombie comedy Warm Bodies comes to theaters this weekend, with Nicholas Hoult at the forefront as an undead Romeo. Is the unconventional romance worth a trip to the movies, though? Check out our video review to find out if you should watch, pass, or rent Warm Bodies.
Zombies have been invading movies and televisions for decades, but few if any of those films or shows have examined what it's like inside the minds of the undead — which is part of the reason why Warm Bodies offers a fresh take on the genre. The comedy centers on R (Nicholas Hoult), a young-looking (and, frankly, kind of cute) zombie whose mind is still intact, even if his memories and motor skills aren't. When R meets Julie (Teresa Palmer) during a routine flesh-eating fest with his fellow undead, he feels a sudden desire to protect her. And what unfolds is a tender love story that, believe it or not, is also relatable.
Warm Bodies solidifies Hoult has what it takes to carry a film, injecting just the right amount of charisma and comedy under all of that zombie makeup. What R lacks in verbal communication he makes up for in witty internal monologue, sharing the trials and tribulations of eating brains with the audience and reminding himself not to be too creepy around Julie. Julie herself is understandably hesitant to believe R's grumbles that he won't hurt her but soon becomes intrigued with how gentle he is — not to mention his surprising amount of nostalgia for records and other artifacts that he collects. Translation: he's a zombie hoarder. The pair actually connect in a way that feels authentic and fun to watch. It's basically a combination of Beauty and the Beast and Romeo and Juliet, but with a lot more laughs.
To see what else I liked about Warm Bodies, just read more
If you're a zombie movie fan, you should be counting the days until Warm Bodies lumbers into theaters this week. Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer headline the movie as star-crossed lovers, but in this case, Romeo is a member of the undead. Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, and Analeigh Tipton also costar in the horror-comedy-romance. Before you buy your tickets, take a look through all the pictures of the movie!
Rob Corddry provides Warm Bodies with a healthy dose of comic relief as M, fellow zombie and best friend to R (Nicholas Hoult). I sat down with Corddry at the film's press day in LA to discuss the trials and tribulations of prepping for his undead role — which he claims wasn't all that tough. He also reveals the hilarious one-liner he wishes didn't make it into the film. Watch the interview before Warm Bodies hits theaters Feb. 1.
The trailer for Warm Bodies puts a new spin on forbidden love — instead of Romeo and Juliet, we're getting zombie and human. Zombies may not be as romanticized a supernatural creature as, say, vampires, but when the zombie in question is played by Nicholas Hoult, I might be rethinking my view of the undead. Hoult stars as R, a flesh-eater in a world where zombies are rampant. He falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer) at first sight, and their love for each other slowly begins to change the zombie race. Understandably, her family doesn't approve of their relationship, especially her father (John Malkovich), who happens to be the man in charge of wiping out the zombies.
The film, based on Isaac Marion's popular novel, may be filled with bloodthirsty creatures, but you can't deny that the trailer has a certain charm to it. It's quirky, and the love story feels fresh and original. I've had a crush on Hoult, who audiences may remember from About a Boy, since seeing him all grown up on the UK's Skins. Though they're an odd pair, I also love Rob Corddry as R's grunting sidekick, and truth be told, I'll see pretty much any movie that features Dave Franco. The movie is set to open Feb. 1, and you can check out the trailer after the jump.
Here's something I didn't think I'd ever say: I wish Jennifer Garner's new movie had a bigger emphasis on butter carving. The hook to her satiric comedy, adequately titled Butter, is that the story focuses on the world of competitive butter sculpting. (This is a real thing.) It's a realm that hasn't been explored much on the big screen (if at all), but unfortunately, the carving competitions are just the background for a lackluster story.
Garner plays Laura Pickler, the intensely type-A wife (think Election's Tracy Flick, all grown up) of reigning butter sculpture champ Bob (Ty Burrell). Laura relishes the attention she receives from being his better half, and when Bob drops out of the upcoming competition, she takes it upon herself to learn the ropes of the biz and continue the Pickler legacy. Enter Brooke (Olivia Wilde), a bicycle-riding prostitute who decides to compete against Laura after Bob fails to pay her for a romp in his van. As if that's not enough, Laura has to worry about taking down Destiny (Yara Shahidi), a talented foster kid poised to become the next butter-carving prodigy. It's a lot of pressure for one lady to deal with, but Garner's aggressive portrayal of Laura won't have you aching with sympathy for the woman. To find out what else I thought about Butter, read more.
In the trailer for Butter, Jennifer Garner tackles the high-stakes world of competitive butter sculpting as Laura Pickler, an intense woman whose career in butter carving is just a front for her political ambitions. Laura's plan gets a few wrenches thrown into it when she discovers her picture-perfect husband and fellow carver (Ty Burrell) is cheating on her with a stripper (Olivia Wilde) and she has to face a new competitor in the form of a young butter-whittling prodigy, played by little Yara Shahidi.
Butter carving (or really any type of perishable-item sculpting) isn't a hobby I'm familiar with, but it seems like the movie is more of a character study than a feature on margarine expositions anyway. Jennifer Garner has played the anxious domestic goddess before (see Juno), but here she's got a little more of an edge. Rob Corddry is also one of my favorite comic actors and he had me laughing out loud in the trailer, despite the fact that his character is probably the most "normal" guy in the movie. Butter opens on Sept. 4, but you can check out the trailer after the jump.
We've talked about 2010's funniest ladies, but what about the guys? This year's comedic men weren't afraid to make fools of themselves by acting like total imbeciles — and we loved every minute of it. A few of them even doubled up on the laughs with more than one hilarious role. Which actor got you giggling the hardest? Just vote below!
Don't forget to vote on all of our Best of 2010 polls!
It's OK to be skeptical of the whole hot-tub-as-time-machine thing that is the plot of, ahem, Hot Tub Time Machine. The movie is aware of its own ridiculousness and quickly shepherds you past that little detail so you can let yourself go and thoroughly enjoy it. Being able to appreciate the absurdity of a sci-fi jacuzzi is the first thing you'll need to love this movie; the other thing? A highly dirty sense of humor.
John Cusack, Craig Robinson, and Rob Corddry star as three buddies who try to relive their glory days at the ski lodge they once ruled in the '80s. Clark Duke plays the nephew of Cusack's character, his youth serving to remind the three men of their age and dissatisfaction with their grown-up lives. The perfect storm of debauchery, alcohol, and a shorted hot tub control panel leads them to time travel to their former selves in 1986. It's unbelievably silly, but to see why I lost myself in the madness, just read more
