28 Weeks Later [DVD] [2007] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The infected are back, and with them the core creative forces behind 28 Days Later , to offer a true rarity in the world of horror sequels, a film that nearly eclipses its predecessor on all counts.

While die-hard Boyle fans may initially dismiss this sequel due to the fact that the visionary director opted not to reprise his role at the helm, a quick glance at the credits reveals that not only did he remain onboard as executive producer, but the original producer, original screenwriter and even the original composer, whose swelling score effectively drives home the emotion of the smaller, quieter moments while seamlessly sweeping the viewer up in the action scenes, all saw fit to remain on board in order to keep the machine running smoothly. Throw into the mix a promising director and you have the perfect recipe for a sequel that impressively maintains the aesthetics and intimate feel of the original while subtly expanding on the mythology in a manner that, while impossible to discuss without resorting to spoilers, feels both fluid and organic.

Though this sequel has a handful of eyebrow-raising issues, the overall result is a thinking person's "zombie apocalypse" a flick that maintains an impressive emotional core while never losing sight of its genre roots.

The directors abilities may not yet be honed to the fine point that Boyle's were by the time he took on the infected, but he does display an impressive ability to conjure convincing performances from his players; Robert Carlyle in particular hits all the right notes as a survivor of the original outbreak whose fate is sealed by a particularly blameworthy act of cowardice. Whereas the director could be accused of relying too much on the eye-straining technique of camera jostling when things take a turn for the worse and the infection remerges, it's hard to argue that the technique doesn't effectively convey the chaos that characters experience when trapped between trigger-happy snipers and teeth-gnashing zombies. Even when the technique is more restrained, however, the direction has the ability to make the viewer believe the situation is calm before pulling back to reveal that things aren't quite what they seem and it goes a long way in driving home the disorienting volatility of such an explosive scenario.

In terms of screenwriting, the story is full and rich and nicely balanced so it doesn't bore us with re-visited details of the last film but gives us enough depth so newcomers to the Franchise can understand what is going on. This results in the creation of characters that are identifiable and sympathetic, and unrelentingly tense situations that truly fray the nerves.

In the end 28 Weeks Later is a film that's likely to be as polarizing for many viewers as its predecessor was due to its unique experimentation with genre standards. Weeks impressively expands on the ideas of Days while upping the scale and terror ante, and actually attempts to stimulate thought rather than insulting the viewer's intelligence, there's quite a bit to like about this vicious little screamer.

Danny Boyle directed 28 Days Later, and he exec-produced this sequel as part of his burgeoning partnership with Alex Garland. Directing duties fell to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, creator of 2001's ingenious Intacto. He stamps his authority on the picture with a startling opening sequence: a dizzying attack on a country farmhouse, which not only violently reminds us that these are far from George Romero's shambling knuckle-draggers, but also that anyone - man or woman, young or old - is fair game. It sets the tone. It sets the rules.

Next we're thrown into a grimy, semi-deserted London (reminiscent of another Spanish-speaking director's apocalyptic vision, Children of Men). It's here that Tammy (Imogen Poots) and Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton) arrive to meet their father, Don (Robert Carlyle). But something is rotten as a corpse within the family unit, and the kids take it upon themselves to sneak out of the militarised zone to put a full-stop on their unfinished childhood. What they discover unleashes hell, and it's up to the US occupying forces, led by a stolid Idris Elba, to quash the infected insurgency.

The film's early sequences contain some creepy, classical horror imagery, usually concerning Catherine McCormack's stricken Alice, before the film gives way to a series of expansive, logic-be-damned action set-pieces. As a marriage of styles it's not quite as broken as Alice and Don's, but it makes the film feel lopsided.

While The Walking Dead proves that the zombie holocaust genre hasn't really the flesh to fill a whole series, an extra 20 minutes wouldn't have gone amiss from 28 Weeks, just to add a little meat to the bony characters - particularly Jeremy Renner's pragmatic Doyle, who seems to be riding on a kind of Hurt Locker zephyr, but with hints of a heart. Rose Byrne, likewise, as Scarlet, can only show a glimmer of the utilitarian behind the perma-frown.

There's no profundity on offer here, just basic moral dilemmas as fleeting as a moving target in a gun sight. At a push there's a veiled allegory about post-war Britain's reliance on the US; and moreover, particularly in one barmy sniper sequence, a crack at repeated "friendly fire" debacles in the theatres of madness mired in the Middle East. But it's really about the visceral thrills. Like its predecessor, budget restraints are a blessing not a curse, forcing imaginative film-craft and rabid performances into the space that, one fears, CGI excess will occupy when the infection extends to 28 Months.

28 Days Later started strongly with the empty London (and those rats) and then drifted off with the dodgy Army unit. 28 Weeks Later also starts with a heart stopper as Begbie escapes the Infected by an act of betrayal. After the infection has died out (according to the dozy NATO doctors who clearly know nothing of sequels) the US Army reintroduces settlers in a controlled site. These are all people with a higher APS (Average Propensity to Scream) including Begbie's two children, who mysteriously don't have a Scots accent but do seem to have difficulty doing what they are told.

At this point the infection reappears by an ingenious plot device. The infection reinfects by an ingenious plot device, but victim zero then escapes manifesting an interesting talent for using ID cards while doing an impression of a man who's eaten too much chili. This is decidedly not an ingenious plot device and thereafter (until the last scene) I think the scriptwriter nipped out for 20 Rothmans and got his neighbour Keith to finish it off. All would be well still if everyone just Obeyed Orders but what would be the fun in that? Lots of shooting, chopping, screaming and a full body burn ensue. The escape is on including another non-ingenious plot device (avoiding poison gas - sit in a car!) and a lot of scenes shot in the dark.

The ending is marvellously grim.