New To Blu: Maggie

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin star in this week's zombie release, Maggie. 

"But mom, I just want
to eat your face."

What's been hailed as the best thing to hit the undead craze in years is a slow paced drama that finally gives Arnold a chance to shine and offers Breslin a shot at escaping her poor career choices. As a zombie flick, Maggie will not ignite any new flames. But as a change of pace for the long running career of an action icon, this is a semi-enjoyable feature that never relies on standard genre ideals or tropes. Instead of ninety minutes of brain bashing, limb chewing fun, Maggie's roots feel more like an arthouse film with a message of morality and questions about euthanasia at its distinctive core. 

While it's a definitively altered change up for Arnold, some fans will be disappointed with its lack of action or any Walking Dead type carnage. Yet, these are the exact things that set this film apart from all the zombie movies and shows that have been filling theaters and cable tv for the last few years. Maggie takes the genre and gives it a human touch and a bit of emotion that is generally lacking from almost every other representation of the undead. With Arnold's attempt to break type and a heartfelt performance as a father that's mourning his daughter's zombified illness, the film's focus leans more towards being a dramatic family piece than anything else. 

Like many typical zombie films, we're treated to human on human trust issues, scenes of post break out destruction, and some excellent make-up work. Other than that, Maggie has almost nothing in common with anything we've ever seen before. Between the farmhouse setting, a beautiful score, and finally seeing Arnold do something different, this is a worthwhile watch that treads a fine line between absolute boredom and just enough tension. Sadly, Maggie will split audiences right down the middle. 

"I hope there's time
travel in this movie."

Fans of the current zombie trend may find something here that they like, but might be disappointed with the absence of action and gore. Resting on the performance of a man trying to rebuild some screen credibility and an actress that hasn't done anything good since Zombieland, this is a passable entry that puts an original spin on a tired genre. If you're looking for a way to kill some time, check out Maggie. Just be sure to have some caffeine and a sawed off shotgun ready. There's a good chance you might nod off during the movie and get your face gnawed on by a much more exciting teenage zombie chick. 





-CG