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Putting the Zzzz in Zombies

We've seen many incarnations of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". From the 1940s adaptation starring Laurence Oliver to the pretty but snoozy 2005 Kiera Knightley one and a little bit in between, Austen's work continues to be a mainstay of popular culture.

The latest film adaptation has been given the Hollywood zombie treatment because at some point there will be an adaptation of every classic novel featuring zombies. When Austen's novel was published in 1813, she probably hoped this is how her legacy would play out - with characters eating other characters with half their face gone and getting their head blown off.

As if finding love among clashing social classes wasn't hard enough in 19th century England, throw in a zombie outbreak. The title of the film tells you what you are in for - the frills of "Pride and Prejudice" mixed with the undead and blood splatter of zombies - and that is exactly what you get, for better or for worse.

Lily James - of last year's "Cinderella" - stars as Elizabeth Bennet. While her parents are trying to marry her and her sisters off, she has no interesting in going to balls and courting wooing potential suitors. Her sister Jane (Bella Heathcote) has caught the eye of Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth) and Elizabeth has caught the permanent scowl of Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley). She doesn't seem to have any interest in being married off.

But who has time for love? The Bennet girls are skillfully trained warriors, who are not afraid to take down a few zombies, which lurk around every corner. For Elizabeth, in particular, finding a husband is second fiddle to blasting the undead. She is strong and confident and James is the highlight of the entire film. With "Cinderella" and now this, James is on her way to being a major star. My only hope is that she continues to get strong material.

Riley is an awkward standout in the film. His leather trenchcoat-clad Mr. Darcy is so monotone, it's distracting. Riley speaks throughout the film with a cartoonish rasp, which really adds to how hard they were trying to make Mr. Darcy an intimidating figure. I even went on YouTube to watch an interview with Riley to see how he spoke out of character. He speaks clearly in real life so I don't understand the decision to make it sound like Mr. Darcy is just getting over a bout of laryngitis.

Moments of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" are fun, especially in the first act. For a PG-13 film, there are some truly gnarly moments of zombie violence that add thrills. Unfortunately, and very quickly, the film runs out of energy. Director Burr Steers (who also wrote the screenplay based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith) pumps up to bring it to a crash landing. The pacing of this film keeps it from being an enjoyable guilty pleasure.