Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, and Douglas Booth. Released on February 5, 2016, the film is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with modern zombie elements.

The film is directed by Burr Steers, who also directed Igby Goes Down, 17 Again, and Charlie St. Cloud, and it is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, which parodies Jane Austen's 1813 British novel. I am not kidding, there's actually a novel that combines Pride and Prejudice with zombie elements. Look it up. Anyway, there have been a couple of films that managed to parody something we've heard of before with a horror twist like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. I believe this film is the latest addition to that type of genre. Even though I haven't read or seen various film versions of Pride and Prejudice, this film caught my attention for two reasons: zombies and ladies who kick butt. But were those reasons enough to satisfy its target audience and those who weren't familiar with Pride and Prejudice?

Pros:
Some decent performances, including Lily James as Elizabeth Bennet.

The action was nicely choreographed and well-shot.

Impressive set designs.

The story and screenplay were passable, but corny at times.

Cons:
Some slow pacing during the second act.

Some of the zombie violence went a bit beyond its PG-13 rating.

A couple of unintentional funny moments.

The final act felt a bit underwhelming.
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Final thoughts: While it doesn't fully satisfy some of the action junkies, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" offers an enjoyable combination of romance and action, with a dash of the zombie apocalypse, of course. It's not what I was expecting it to be, but for what it's worth, I had a bloody good time watching a bunch of ladies fighting off against a bunch of zombies. If you like the 2009 novel, there's a good chance you might like this film as well. If you're in a mood for a zombie flick, then give this one a shot. Just don't expect it to be great.

C+