28 Years Later (2025) - Good, but a bit 'all over the place'

I remember being completely blown away by the 2002 zombie film (that - technically - isn't a 'zombie' film) '28 Days Later.' Some people weren't that taken by the initial sequel '28 Weeks Later' but I actually loved that too.  So I was desperate to see the long-awaited third entry in what is now a trilogy.  Yet, to my dismay, many reviewers didn't seem to be saying it was that good.

And, they have a point - sort of.  Roughly the first third of the film is definitely strong, but then it seems to take a turn and becomes quite a different film.  Now it's less solid and more messy that starts to mostly work on vibes and momentum rather than the tight storytelling and acting it started out with. 

It’s good fun overall with enough chaos, tension and a few moments that you might not see coming.  But it has plotlines that don't seem to go anywhere and even stylistic techniques that are abandoned about a quarter of the way through.  One minute it’s grim and bleak, the next it’s oddly sentimental or almost playful and the film doesn’t always transition smoothly between those moods. It can feel like a couple of different movies mashed into one.  Still, the acting is pretty even all the way through, so even when it stumbles, it’s rarely boring and - hopefully - the ambition counts for something.  Not a classic, but an enjoyable, uneven sequel that’s easy to recommend if you’re already invested in the series.

7/10