Genre: Horror/Thriller

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Certificate: The Messengers  was rated 16 by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie) i.e. suitable for those of 16 years of age or upwards.

Violence = strong. Drugs = none. Sex/Nudity = mild. Language = strong.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: 28 Weeks Later

It was with a  mixture of trepidation and excitement that I toddled off to see this sequel to 28 Days Later, mainly because I am a huge fan of the original film and its director Danny Boyle and I was hoping I wasn't going to be too disappointed with what Spanish Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo had to offer.  I need not have worried - from the opening scenes where we see the brilliant Robert Carlyle holed up with his wife and several others in a deserted farmhouse hiding from the infected I got the feeling we were in for a rollercoaster ride and I was right.

28 weeks have passed, the infection has been isolated (or has it?), and the Americans have taken charge in an attempt to repopulate London.  I had reservations about this slant on proceedings fearing we'd be met with Gung-Ho Americanism at its worse, which would have personally ruined the concept of the whole thing for me, however, apart from the odd caricature soldier, and a few Code Reds thrown in for good measure they play an understated role on the whole.

This time round they have kept all of the action in and around central London, and there are some pretty spectacular scenes of deserted streets, parts of Canary Wharf literally burning, and a glimpse of the new Wembly stadium.

It's well paced, edge of your seat stuff, with little time to catch your breath on occasion and some solid performances especially from Dan’s (Robert Carlyle) two children Tammy and Andy played by Imogen Poots and Mackintosh Muggleston.

I have deliberately steered clear of too much plot synopsis as not to spoil the enjoyment but for those who loved the first one this is a must.

Hand on heart 28 Days Later is a film that will always be my favourite, and has the edge mainly because I feel there was far more character development in that film and a stronger storyline.  However, this one gives it a close run for its money for action and spectacle, whilst still retaining a fundamentally British feel about the whole thing even using the original soundtrack, and as expected cleverly leaves the door wide open for a third.  In a word - Thrilling.

Reviewed by Mary Kate, Premier Movie Reviews 2007

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