WARM BODIES (MA) puts fresh zing into the zombie genre with the funniest foray into flesh eating fiends since SHAUN OF THE DEAD. Based on Isaac Marion’s novel of the same name, WARM BODIES is the latest crazy wackiness from screenwriter/director Jonathan Levine whose THE WACKNESS was a calling card to audiences to sit up and take notice. Making the walking dead sexy is a stretch but Levine livens up the Lazarus shockers with a resurrection shuffle of Shakespearean themes, a kind of Romeo and Ghouliette, where the rigours of mortis are softened by love. Nicholas Hoult plays R, a soulful stiffy who is captivated by Teresa Palmer’s   Julie,  who he holds captive in an attempt to steal her heart and save her brains from being devoured by brainless drones. As he spins old vinyl, memories of his life flash before him and his deathliness seems to drain from him. These star crossed lovers make their life, rage against the dying of the life, taking up the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and seek to overthrow piteous misadventure. They are aided by M, a mordant Mercutio maybe, played with dead pan aplomb by Rob Corddry. The course of their true love path is thwarted by Julie’s dad, a zealous zombie zapper with zero tolerance to the barbarian brain banqueters, played with a zestful purpose by John Malkovich. There’s action and romance, humour and humanity, a whole lot of heart and high portion of brains, WARM BODIES is a picture with a pulse worth taking. © Richard Cotter