Pride and Prejudice and Zombies debuted this weekend on 2,931 screens across the United States. The ‘retelling’ of Jane Austen’s period piece with the added pop of zombies was a hit on bookshelves. Sony and Screen Gems looked to recreate the same fascination with the mash-up on the big screen. It is a safe bet to say they failed miserably earning Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the distinct honor of being the first real bomb of 2016.
Studios usually use the first quarter of the year to release films they are not overly confident in, but due to the lack of titles, they still feel will make them money. The idea is the winter weather will drive people inside when looking for outings. A number of titles have benefited from this strategy in the past. Kingsman: The Secret Service comes to mind as a movie that enjoyed this luxury, last year.
However, the idea is for critics to still enjoy the movie, and that is certainly not the case with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Some going as far as calling it the Sleepwalking Dead. Where the movie seems to fail with critics is in the PG-13 rating. More than one felt Burr Steers could have done more with violence and gore than he did. Linda Barnard of the Toronto Star may have said it best.
Not gory enough to satisfy horror fans, nor clever enough for a really good laugh…
