Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Last night my wife and I went to see the just released Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at our local theater. I loved this movie and more importantly my wife enjoyed it as well. And she is not a fan of the zombie genre of movies. But to be clear, this movie is a comedy horror movie loosely based on Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. The story revolves around the young ladies of the Bennet family, Elizabeth (Lily James), Jane (Bella Heathcote), Kitty (Suki Waterhouse), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), and Mary (Millie Brady). In this version of 18th Century England, the countryside has been ravaged by a zombie outbreak. But amid the carnage and eating of brains, life goes on and young women must endeavor to marry well. To better survive the ravages of the undead, anyone with means sends their children to the orient to learn fighting arts. The wealthy send their children to Japan, and the wise send their children to China. The Bennet girls are alumni of the Shaolin temple. And where in previous incarnations of Jane Austin young ladies are playing harpsichord and doing needlepoint, the young ladies of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are seen sharpening swords and cleaning flintlock pistols. They’re also seen training for and engaging in combat with the legions of the walking dead. I believe that Screen Gems has made a mistake in marketing this movie as an action-horror film. Yes the action sequences get a solid 9 out of 10. And the special effects are equally as good. But the truth is this movie is absolutely hilarious. It’s funny because aside from adding zombies, kenjutsu and shaolin boxing, the writers kept everything else as faithful to Jane Austin as possible. I’ve seen the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle quite a few times and much of the dialogue is identical, indicating that both versions stayed close to Jane Austin’s original text. When real dialogue from the Pride and Prejudice is given while girls are cleaning muskets and sparring, it becomes gut wrenchingly hilarious. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys their action, comedy and horror with some classical literature mixed in.