Kidzworld reviews the literary classic/horror/comedy mash-up movie Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Is it exciting? Is there romance? Are the female action heroines cool?
By: Lynn Barker
In Pride + Prejudice + Zombies, we still have the social class conflicts of the original Jane Austen novel but smart Liz Bennet is a trained zombie fighter as is the hot Mr. Darcy. Can love survive a zombie apocalypse?
Weapons check for Liz and JaneCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Life in the English Countryside
It’s 18th century England and the hot but poor-ish Bennet sisters are lookin’ for hubby material while preparing for a zombie attack. You see, zombies have been around and trapped in a walled off London with a big canal around it for about a century but they seem to be getting out. The Bennet girls (Elizabeth (Lily James), Jane (Bella Heathcote), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), Mary (Millie Brady) and Kitty (Suki Waterhouse)) have to hone the martial arts and fighting skills they learned in China to fight the undead and love will have to take a backseat.
The sisters throw down against zombiesCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Family, Suitors and Complications
While Elizabeth is crushing on zombie killing soldier Mr. Wickham (Jack Huston), more interesting is Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) who seems too full of himself and rude to pay much attention to her. Doofus parson Collins (“Dr. Who”’s Matt Smith) asks her dad (“Game of Throne’s” Charles Dance) for her hand. Ewwww. So, he settles for another sister. Pretty sis Jane is courted by gorgeous and rich Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth) and Darcy’s famous zombie killing warrior aunt Lady Catherine (“Game of Throne’s” Lena Heady) wants Darcy to marry her daughter.
Collins (Matt Smith) zeroes in on a brideCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Fight Action and “Good” Zombies
When Darcy sees Liz and her warrior sisters in battle against zombies, he’s blown away and in love but she doesn’t like him when, after Jane collapses after fighting a huge zombie, Darcy seems to think she was bitten and might kill her. Liz and reluctant Bingley have to fight zombies at a party and Liz accompanies Wickham to a ruined church in an area outside London where zombies who have never eaten human flesh seem to be rather “normal”. They live on pig brains.
Darcy and Bingley eye the loves of their livesCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Lies and Revelations
At Lady Catherine’s estate everyone gathers and Wickham talks of making peace with these not-quite-zombies. She laughingly refuses. Wickham tells Liz that Bingley left town and Jane because Darcy told him she was just a gold digger. When Darcy finally expresses his love for Liz, she hates him for this and they have a big verbal and sexy physical fight! Darcy says he overhead Liz’s mom saying her daughters were after money. Leaving Liz to stew on this, he goes off to fight zombies outside London and Wickham steals youngest sis Lydia! She must be rescued.
Warrior Aunt Catherine (Lena Heady)Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Will Catherine become a Bennet ally? Will Darcy and Liz ever work things out? Will Bingley and Jane end up together? What is Wickham really up to and will zombies bust out of London and take over the countryside?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Trailer
Wrapping Up
Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is full of sharp swords and sharp wits. The romance and class struggles of the original Jane Austen novel are there but if you are used to “The Walking Dead” on TV, these PG-13 zombie battles showcase some fun martial arts but aren’t nearly as gory. That’s a good or bad thing depending on your taste in zombie mayhem.
Double weddingCourtesy of Sony Pictures
The movie has a lot of funny moments like Liz Bennet catching zombie-hunting flies with her bare hands and there is not only great verbal sparring but a knock down, drag out battle between Liz and Darcy when she hates him thinking he’s broken up her sister’s engagement with his pal Bingley. Overall, it is fun to see the guys take an action back-seat for a change. Period films are usually full of damsels in distress. Not these gals.
Zombie mom and zombie babyCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Actors are all well-cast in their roles. Matt Smith as the funny, socially awkward Parson Collins is just great and the fellows courting the Bennet girls are properly handsome. Lily James is especially believable as the warrior Elizabeth. Costumes and sets are just gorgeous!
Jane (Bella Heathcote) shoots at a zombieCourtesy of Sony Pictures
The movie is well-paced without much of a dull moment but some things are set up and don’t pay off. We meet the masked and weird four horsemen of the zombie apocalypse but never see them actually do anything. It is mentioned that zombies have learned how to set traps for humans but we only see this once. The big battle with the escaping London zombies seems to be won too easily and quickly. Etc.
Most of the cast at the L.A. PremiereCourtesy of Sony Pictures
The movie is set up for sequels but, after zombie themes are exhausted, what? Something like “Jane Eyre Vs. Sharknado”…or the like? We had enough fun to go 3 and a half stars but in our rating system, let’s make it 4.
Pride + Prejudice + Zombies Movie Rating:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies PosterCourtesy of Sony Pictures
Have Your Say
Do you love movies with butt-kicking women in charge? Are you into period romance novels? Leave a comment!
