Arnold Schwarzenegger and zombies. This must be a win-win combo?

Set in the near future, a necrotic viral pandemic has spread cross-country to small town America and infected many of the region's inhabitants, including 16-year-old Maggie (Abigail Breslin).

Society is trying to get back to some normality from this post-zombie apocalypse which has a seven-to-eight week transformation period from infection, in which time the victim’s bodies deteriorate and they acquire a taste for human flesh.

The authorities have established a routine and protocol for the infected patients who are removed from society and taken to special hospitals which turn out to be no more than a front for a production line for disposing of the infected.

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Maggie is still in the early stages of the disease after being bitten by a fully-turned roaming cannibal.
She is taken to a local hospital filled with false hope.

She is recognised by one of the Doctors who knows Maggie’s Father Wade Vogel (Schwarzenegger) who has been desperately searching for his daughter for several weeks.

Wade is allowed to take his daughter home for her last few weeks but he must bring her back to the hospital for a check-up before her final moments.

The doctor comes clean with Wade and tells him that the infected are given a lethal injection which causes an extremely painfully death and Wade has to decide what is best for Maggie.

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Obviously this isn’t your usual Zombie movie.

Abigail Breslin (Oscar nominated for Little Miss Sunshine) puts in a terrific performance as Maggie who knows that she will get progressively worse and is frightened by the thought of what she will become.

The film is shot through a greyish tinted lens which gives a dusky depressing look to the baron wheat fields and the Middle America landscape.

But although the country has suffered this atrocious outbreak the surviving population still try to carry on with normal life and still have law and order complete with a working Police Force.

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The film is based on an original screenplay by first-time screenwriter John Scott 3, which made the industry’s 2011 Blacklist for best unproduced screenplays.

It also marks a first time feature film directorial debut of commercial and title sequence director, Henry Hobson.

The whole movie was made on a tiny budget of eight million dollars which would probably just about cover Mr Schwarzenegger’s hair dye in any other movie.

 

And what of the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well I saved my opinion of his performance until last.

Actually he wasn’t that bad. This is a totally new direction for the ex-body builder who looks very craggy and allows a surprisingly large number of close ups off his square unshaven face.

He also puts in a good turn showing his caring side as a loving Father who will protect his daughter no matter what.

If you are a fan expecting the usual shoot ‘em up wise cracking Arnie, then you may be disappointed.

In the same way that the classic gangster movie The Godfather never mentioned the word ‘Mafia’ throughout the film. You never hear the Z-word in Maggie.

Also, not once does Arnie instruct people to get to the whirly flying machine!

This is an intelligent zombie movie (if there is such a thing) and quite thought provoking. It has more of a reality feel to it, as if this is how it would be should the apocalypse occur.

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In cinemas July 17