Dawn of the Dead
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
A film review by Matt Noller
Zack Snyder's re-imagining of George A. Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead is
a no-holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall, horror movie. It lacks the sharp
satire or inter-human conflicts that the Romero picture had, but makes up
for it by being better acted, scarier, and more thrilling.
I use the phrase re-imagining above because remake isn't really accurate.
The basic plot details of Romero's film and this one are the same, as is the
setting, but specific events differ significantly. You don't have to be
familiar with the 1978 version to enjoy Dawn of the Dead, nor will knowledge
of the older title give anything away. The ending especially has been
altered: be sure to sit through the credits to get the real conclusion.
Ana (Sarah Polley) is having a bad couple of days. She is forced to work for
an hour overtime without pay before heading home, and when she wakes up her
boyfriend is having his neck chewed on by the cute little neighbor girl. He
dies before Ana can get help, but then he wakes up again and tries to attack
her. She runs to her car and manages to get away, but her neighborhood is in
ruin. Undead beasts are rampaging, attacking and killing anybody they can
find. Ana panics and runs into a tree.
This is just the pre-credits sequence, and it manages to pack more tension
and excitement into fifteen minutes than many films can fit into their
entire running lenghths. Amazingly, Snyder manages to keep this pace up
throughout the rest of the film. Ana is rescued by Kenneth (Ving Rhames), a
cop who has managed to survive the attacks. They run to the local mall,
where they meet up with Michael (Jake Weber), Andre (Mekhi Phifer) and
Andre's pregnant wife, Luda (Inna Korobkina). By watching local newscasts,
it is learned that a virus has broken out. No one knows how it's spread, but
those infected die and are reborn as undead monsters. While scouting out the
mall, the group encounters a trio of security guards (Michael Kelly, Kevin
Zegers, Michael Barry), who grudgingly agree to help them.
Later on, more people join the group, including smart-ass Steve (Ty Burell),
slutty Monica (Kim Poirier), a father and daughter, Frank (Matt Frewer) and
Nicole (Lindy Booth), Norma (Jayne Eastwood) and Tucker (Boyd Banks). Of
course, with a cast this big and a 100-minute running time, not all of these
characters are fully fleshed out. Some of them we care about (Ana, Kenneth,
Michael and Nicole stand out) and some them we don't, but there's still a
personal aspect to the film. Character relationships are handled with a deft
touch, and they are all resolved strongly, so I can overlook some of the
unimportant characters being undeveloped.
But where Dawn of the Dead should shine is in scares and thrills, and shine
it does. A large level of tension is maintained throughout the entire
production, whether anything is happening or not. Snyder, in his debut,
creates a claustrophobic, bleak atmosphere. The action sequences are
fast-paced and suspenseful, easily superior to ninety-five percent of the
action movies out there. No characters are safe, and we are constantly
unsure about their fates. There are plenty of blood and guts too, for people
who desire that kind of thing.
Does Dawn of the Dead have problems? Sure; there's the aforementioned
character issues, and some of the dialogue is a little weak - but in this
case who cares? I also wish the orgin of the virus had been expounded upon a
little more - but hey, Romero's film had that problem too. I wouldn't
recommend this film to young children or the squeamish, but Dawn of the Dead
is a dark, scary horror film that ranks up there with the recent best. It
might just be the most thrilling movie you see all year.
See more of my reviews at www.uhmovies.co.nr and please e-mail me with your
thoughts/criticisms at imgiphted@bellsouth.net.
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