Since my Muse has been of an apocalyptic frame of mind as of late, especially zombpocalypses, the wife and I sat down to watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies this evening.
Warning! Spoiler alert. If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, you may want to skip the rest of this.
I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. I’ve never read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen but I gather it is a regency era rom-com. Mixing that with a zombpoalypse is a bold move. I guess it follows the original Austen tale but adds in the background of a zombie uprising. The Bennett Sisters were sent to China to learn martial arts in preparation of surviving a world of zombies. (The more well-to-do send their young to Japan for the same reason.) This explains their late entry into society and the prospect of getting a husband.
Mr. Darcy is a military man, more of a government agent, who roots out zombies as soon as they might turn. He crashes a game night at the Featherstone estate, where he tracks down a recently turned zombie as everyone plays whist. He is dour and serious and nothing like what you’d expect a romance leading man to be.
Elizabeth Bennett, Lizzy to her friends, is not what you’d expect your romantic lead female to be either. She’s skilled in martial arts, able to take on multiple zombies at the same time and came out on top, serious, and in no way looking to get married or needing a man to complete her. There is a scene where the Bennett sisters are discussing the merits of marriage while sparring and beating each other up. I can imagine scene that being in a sitting room in the original novel, but here it gets a twist, given the zombies all over the place. And it works.
The story progresses, the Benett sisters get courted and paired off, except for Lizzy, who spends her time spurning Mr Darcy (and her cousin, Pastor Collins, played by Matt Smith of Dr. Who fame) as she kills off zombies between arguments with her suitors. There is the obligatory quarrel between Lizzy and Darcy (during a physical confrontation no less) that drives the two apart, and destroying any hope they will ever get together.
There is a villain, who kidnaps one of the Bennett sisters, forcing Lizzy and Darcy to travel into the most heavily infested zombie area to get her back. Of course, they discover they truly love each other at this point but it seems like they will be overwheled by zombies. Being a romance, though, all turns out well in the end, and Lizzy and Darcy end up married.
I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would, and the addition of zombies didn’t seem to overpower the original tale. It managed to remain entertaining, not overly gory, and made narrative sense.
It has pointed out the necessity, to me at least, that I need to sit down and read Pride and Prejudice some day. Then I should probably read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. Two more added to the ‘to be read’ pile.
What are you watching / reading these days, my Hordeling? Leave a comment and let me know.
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