Trailer Breakdown: 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Takes an Action Edge to Two Opposites

Less than a month after the teaser trailer dropped, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies released their first full length trailer to give us a bigger scope on what to expect. While people have taken issue with the look of the film, changing of a classic novel, or changing of the book it was based on, it seems as though the movie could do well if given the chance. It is being written off as ridiculous, but to me, as a fan of Austen, it is an interesting concept with a good tone. It brings in new ideas, while keeping with the original ideas of the story.

There are actually quite a few things that this trailer has brought up that could really work.

The zombies are dominant

The black plague has reached over Europe, and with that has come the rise of the dead in the form of zombies. Loved ones have succumbed to it, and women have had to put down their needlework to pick up a sword and defend themselves. It is a dangerous time to be a human, and they are becoming more and more outnumbered by the sickness, just trying to find a way to survive.

Some of the biting wit is still there

While Mr. Collins is going on about how "the fairest wife" could be in the room at the moment, Jane and Elizabeth just sit there with sly smiles as their father states that they are trained for battle, not for the kitchen. It seems as though the deal of the new story is that they aren't as worried about keeping house as they are about learning how to protect it and themselves from attack.

It is a nice change over the fact that most of the time the sisters are found nonsensical, however. While I am sure that there will still be aspects of the sisters in there, it will be interesting to see the new edge they are given when it is needed to be used in battle and how useful they are.

There is still a level of class

One of the most famous scenes in the story is when Darcy enumerates the things that make women accomplished, to which Elizabeth scoffed. Now, women are not so boring as to just be well read and able to sing, but they should be efficient in the art of war.

Elizabeth is still Elizabeth

"I shall never relinquish my sword for a ring."

It is something that she states very strongly, shown warding off zombies and pulling a sword out while Darcy looks at her shocked, and arms rise from the ground. She is still a strong woman, with a lot of sense. But now she is holding her own in a male-dominated idea of "I have to protect everyone." The right man would allow her to stand beside him and fight together, all the better to protect themselves and the ones they love

Some of it is shot from the zombies' POV

I am not sure how I feel about this. Maybe it is during the fight scenes when they are about to die, but the going back and forth between following the actors as they move and then switching to see them through the zombies' eyes... this is either going to be really interesting or really disorienting. While during a trailer it works because it adds a certain flow and interesting perspective, it just seems like it might get distracting after a while.

Freaking Catherine DeBourgh

While it is disorienting to see her looking so young, this woman lost an eye, most likely because of a zombie, you see her wielding swords... this woman is not one to be messed with. This is a woman who is not just of nobility, she is a force to be reckoned with. So when Elizabeth refuses to back down to THIS woman... it's going to be an interesting battle. I am completely excited for it.

Elizabeth and Darcy are still at the core

Throughout the trailer, you can see them stealing glances at each other in certain scenes. Both are predominantly in the fight scenes, a few including main characters such as Wickham. The trailer ends with him attacking a zombie and turning just as another is about to get him, but she shoots it. They have always been at odds, and there is a class hierarchy, but in this movie they are not just mentally equal they are impressively similarly skilled. It isn't about money, or love at first sight here, it is about respect and maybe even a little admiration.

This movie has a lot going against it, but there is so much that could work here and a lot appears in this trailer, if you just allow yourself to open your eyes to the possibility. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, and I am not really a zombie fan, but this movie makes me feel excited in the best possible way.

Check out the trailer below and decide for yourself.