​FILMS

maggie

2015 review number 90:

Maggie: (Thriller/Drama): 48 out of 100: Those zombies never die, they just keep appearing in more flesh eating adventures. You just can't take them seriously except Maggie is a different proposition. It's a zombie movie which you do have to take seriously considering the great lengths the story goes to promote the family unit that is affected when someone has been bitten by a zombie.

 

Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has been searching for his missing daughter, Maggie (Abigail Breslin) for more than a week. Upon finding her, he discovers that she has been bitten by a zombie. Once bitten, humans don't turn into zombies for 6-8 weeks. Due to a zombie epidemic that has plagued the world, there are numerous quarantine stations for the infected to be housed. Wade refuses to take Maggie to a station, instead taking her back home where she can live out her final days as a human with her stepmother Caroline (Joely Richardson) and half brother and sister.

 

It is such a dour, slowly paced movie that it is easy to lose interest. Zombie movies usually feature some action scenes but this one is more of a family drama where the director Henry Hobson, persists in filming inanimate objects that have nothing to do with the story. He is also to blame for making many scenes so nauseating. With so many close-up shots, you would expect to see the pores of the actors' skin! It's like seeing a movie through a pair of binoculars. There are also numerous scenes featuring that dreaded shaky cam which can test the stomach of an unsuspecting viewer. To make the visuals even more unbearable, the lighting is poor which makes it difficult at times to work out what is happening on the screen.

 

There really isn't too much of a back story. We are not enlightened as to why there is a zombie plague. Most of the scenes are set inside the family home on the farm. Arnie doesn't even get the chance to flex those muscles of his with all the dramatic events that take place. Although this is disappointing for Arnie action lovers, at least this role gives him the chance to demonstrate his dramatic acting skills. Breslin is appealing as the infected zombie/human and is steadily making the transition from child star to adult actress.

 

There are some thought provoking moments and scenarios that make us question how we would react in a similar type situation where a contagious disease is ravaging a loved one. The theme is an interesting one, it's just a shame that the execution is poor.

 

Maggie is an alternative version of the traditional zombie movie where mayhem reigns supreme. These are the movies that sometimes provide unintentional laughs to lighten the mood. There's nothing funny about Maggie and coupled with the non-existent action scenes, ensures that it will find it difficult to reach a wide audience.

 

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin and Joely Richardson

(95 minutes)

Parental advice: Violence

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ5Vz8qE8R8 (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Tuesday 30th June, 2015)

 

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