This review is being re-released to support the physical copy due date for Peninsula on November 24, 2020.

This sequel to the classic zombie tilt Train To Busan certainly departs from the original, and it mostly succeeds.

What we have is a visually stunning film with non-stop action and heart-pumping set pieces, and yet, none of the heart that made the original stand out.

The characters don’t resonate and we don’t care what happens to them, but as entertainment goes, Peninsula is a solid ride.

It’s marked by one major difference: It asks the audience to explore how the remaining survivors can become villains in a world full of the undead, rather than banding together. It explores the survival mentality, and all the inhumane pieces that come with it.

DIrector Sang-ho Yeon is back at the helm, but the truth is he’s telling an incredibly different story. It’s a natural evolution, but for a pandemic movie about zombies, they are woefully underrepresented here.

If you’re looking for a dramatic thrill-ride with zombies as an aside, this one will work just fine. They just aren’t centrepieces like they were in Train To Busan.

It’s worth every penny to see Peninsula on a big, beautiful IMAX screen, because it’s a competent, visually gorgeous thrill ride. Just don’t expect more than surface level thrills on this one.

3.5/5 Stars