“Warm Bodies” is a playful, romantic comedy about the transformation of lifeless zombies to humans through the power of love. This transformation sparks from a relationship between a zombie named R, played by Nicholas Hoult, and a human named Julie, played by Teresa Palmer.

The most notable aspects of the movie include the great acting, creative story structure and humorous plot-line. The movie as a whole aligns with Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo and Juliet” as the main character’s names are even R and Julie. Also, R’s best friend, M, corresponds with Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio.

The first scene opens at the airport with R narrating his current state as a zombie. All he remembers about himself is that his first name began with the letter “R”. Along with some other zombies, he heads to the city to feed his hunger. In the meanwhile, Julie and her friends, including her boyfriend Perry, played by Dave Franco, leave the city to get some medicine at a drugstore.

In the movie, zombies cannot feel, think or talk. However, R presents himself as a very unusual and out of the ordinary zombie, as he often wishes that he could feel again like a normal human. That aspect of his character is portrayed through the movie’s special technique of giving the audience glimpses of R’s thought process throughout the movie, in a pause and play technique.

The notable acting by Hoult made his character as a zombie believable for the audience, as the scenes in which he struggled to speak full sentences made it seem as though he was a real zombie truly attempting to talk like a human.

R and Julie first meet as R and the other zombies enter the drugstore and begin attacking the humans to feed their hunger. At this moment, Julie and R meet eye to eye and seem to share a connection. The music played in this scene represents how R felt as he fell in love at first sight with Julie because it is light and joyful. This is an important moment in the film because later R spares Julie’s life and they develop a relationship that later starts a revolution.

As R and Perry are fighting, R debates whether or not he should eat Perry’s brain. If zombies eat only the body, then they come back as a zombie. However, if the brain is eaten, then the human simply dies, then causing the zombie to gain full access to the human’s previous memories. This debate going through his head shows that R has more empathy for humans than do the other zombies.

Nevertheless, R decides to eat Perry’s brain to see all of Perry’s memories out of curiosity and hunger. However, R does spare Julie’s life and takes her away to keep her safe because as soon as they meet eyes, they share some sort of deep connection. R protects Julie and takes her back to the airport to keep her safe.

By sheltering Julie, R is showing that he genuinely cares for her, which is a sign that he is changing due to love, representing the main theme of the power of love. Unlike R, Julie is very scared and hesitant, as she had been trained her whole life to despise and kill zombies at first sight.

R takes Julie to his home made up of an airplane that he enthusiastically decorated according to his own unique interests. R continues to reassure her by telling her that she will be safe, and even goes as far as to cover her with a blanket and bring her food, which is quite unusual for a zombie, as zombies typically do not feel. The power of love causes R’s heart to start beating, as the audience sees the first sign of R transforming into a real human.

R and Julie face challenges in having to deal with other zombies and Bonies, who are ruthless skeletal figures that all zombies become after a long time. As they face these obstacles together, they begin to start developing feelings for one another. The music during these scenes, in which R and Julie begin to be more interested in each other, are lively and upbeat.

R begins to feel more and more like a human due to his interactions with Julie. A sign of this can be seen as R even begins to dream, something that zombies are not capable of. This is a very critical moment of the film because the tone of the movie switches gears, as now the audience feels compelled to root for the zombies and humans to unite.

After some time of separation, R and Julie meet again in a balcony scene that again alludes to “Romeo and Juliet.” The power of love that sparked from the relationship between R and Julie continues to spread to all the other zombies, as they slowly begin to transform into humans.

The development of the relationship between R and Julie was performed by Hoult and Palmer in a light-hearted and humorous, yet serious and thrilling way, as it kept viewers on the edge for their love to continue deepening to change the norm.

“Warm Bodies” is truly a must see comedy. It creatively incorporates the theme of zombies into a humorous love story that is completely original and fresh, as it offers high quality acting, an appealing theme of the power of love, a humorous, yet thrilling, plot line and relatable scores that align with the story development. It leaves the audience on the edge of their seats for a sweet surprise created through love.