After a lifetime watching sci-fi movies I am bemused by some of the criticism that people heap on movies like this. It's a sci-fi "B" movie, for god's sake. What were you expecting? Movies like this are meant to entertain, amuse, make you jump a few times, and toss out some ideas that might make you think a bit. That's what sci-fi "B" movies do. Expecting much more than that is just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Having said that, this is objectively not a great movie. It has a really muddled story and a weak ending. However, it has some decent, at times even good, acting as well as a decent idea that the movie is built around. The writers were clearly trying to find something new to do in a genre that is about played out and they get some points for that. Plus the movie has good production values, sets, costuming, and some name actors. So, if you are a sci-fi fan and want some light entertainment for 90 minutes this is an "OK" option. If every movie you watch has to be "great" or you are going to whine about being robbed of 90 minutes of your life, then you should give this a pass.
Spoiler Section
This is not a "zombie" virus movie and the infected are not "undead". In spirit this movie is much more like 28 Days Later in terms of the "look and feel" of the virus and the infected. Points for the writers for making the virus a variant of rabies. There was a Nat Geo special that was done after "Walking Dead" hit that tried to lay out a possible "plausible" zombie plague scenario. It used a "weaponized super rabies" as the most scientifically possible scenario so someone did their homework.
That being said, the speed of the infection taking hold is (like it was in 28 Days Later) ridiculous. No virus is going to hit your bloodstream and then turn you into a hyper-aggressive homicidal maniac in seconds. So, minus points for perpetuating this ridiculous meme of "instant infection" no matter how useful it is for an outbreak movie.
The idea of having an asymptomatic carrier be the hero of the story and be able to interact with the infected was a cool twist. Although if you saw the SyFy series "Z Nation" your first thought might have been, "OK he's just like Murphy". Which is one of the weaknesses of this movie. Almost everything in it will remind you of some other movie or series in this genre that has come out since 2000 or, even going further back to the grand daddy of the genre, the 1954 book "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson. There isn't really anything in this movie that feels fresh or new.
That being said, the interaction between our hero and the "King Zombie" played by Stanley Tucci is well done and a decent plot twist. Suddenly the viewer realizes that this is not going to be a post-apocalyptic road trip movie to find the "patient zero" unicorn. This is a much darker movie about the last vestiges of civilization being overrun by the barbarism and chaos that the infected symbolize. You thought you were watching an action, adventure, thriller movie but you were really watching a last stand movie the whole time. Surprise!
That's the best part of the movie. The rest of it, while decently done, is muddled and confused. One of the other reviewers noted that the movie felt like a failed series pilot and I agree. It makes me think that the writers were TV writers who cobbled together a screenplay. They had some decent ideas but they didn't know how to hone them into a tight movie.
So, in conclusion. If you like Outbreak or Apocalypse movies this one isn't bad. It has it's flaws but I found it entertaining and it had a few thought provoking moments. Put it in your "watch when nothing else is on" pile and you won't be disappointed.
Review by smokingtyger from the Internet Movie Database.