Kasey, I think you're underestimating the symbolism that the first movie contained. I honestly thought it was a borderline masterpiece in that sense. I'll give you a couple of examples, one that ties in directly to what you said in your last post there. First of all, did you notice how no one (that I remember... other than maybe the soldiers) in the first one used a last name? That was indicative to how primal and basic the needs and actions of the surviving had become. I think it was brilliant.
Also there was Jim acting as if he was a zombie at the end of the first one...representing how primal his needs had become, again. Survival and nothing but. They essentially made Jim a zombie in the first one, which is something I've never seen done before. Blur the lines of protagonist and antagonist by making your main character act like the bloody enemy (pun intended).
As for them not explaining the origins or effects of the Rage virus with any detail, that, again, was part of the brilliance of the film. There was no one in the movie who knew anything about the Rage virus, other than what had been explained in the newspapers before the evacuation. For them to tell you what the Rage virus does would be a complete anachronism. The Rage virus represented more the fear of the characters and the unknown than it did represent a virus or a disease, and that's partially why I liked 28DL so much.
In the second one... they could've made a little more of an effort to explain to us the disease, but again, it's fair to assume they didn't know much about the disease still. It's obviously a different time and people think differently, they know what humankind and this virus is capable of doing, so you can't use the same symbolism I explained above in the sequel.
But don't get me wrong,I was pretty scared and had a nightmare that night after seeing 28WL (to be fair I had also watched 28DL right before), and I agree that some of the scenes, especially in terms of action, in this sequel will be stuff of legends some day. Like I said, the opening scene is now one of my favorite scenes in any movie. They pace it sooooo well. Also the helicopter scene and the firebombing scene were completely ridiculous.
I might just end up buying it eventually, but I sincerely think 28 Days Later was much better. like I said, 28WL suffered from something along the lines of "blair Witch Syndrome". Too big of a budget, too flashy compared to the first one. I expected those things I guess, as it was the necessary step coming out of the first one, but it kinda ruined the symbolism and brilliance of the first one (which I honestly think could be one of the best zombie movies of all time).
Oh well... I'd watch it again I guess, lol... but not before all of the blockbusters coming out this summer. LIVE FREE AND DIE HARD MOTHERFUCKER.
)dark, but hey, i dont have 20/20 vision... 
