A group of survivors take refuge in a shopping mall after a plague
infects the human population and turns them into undead monsters. HORROR
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Dawn of the Dead (2004)Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by James Gunn Starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Kevin Zegers, Lindy Booth, Boyd Banks Remake of 1978's Dawn of the Dead |
Most of the time, remakes are considered trampling on hallowed ground that should not be tread upon and if you do, you better have a damn good reason for doing it. Two positives came from this film: it showcased the writing talents of James Gunn and, love him or hate him, it also brought Zack Snyder into prominence. Does this film have the same approach as the timeless Romero classic? Absolutely not. What it is is a good cover that Gunn and Snyder make their own and what we're given is a decent hybrid of action and horror and a taste of what to expect with Snyder in the director's chair.
The opening grabs you by the neck and doesn't let up as we're introduced to Anna (Polley) a nurse coming off a long shift on the cusp of a zombie outbreak. Her moment of bliss shared with her husband is short lived as the dawn (haha, get it?) of a new day brings the horror of the future. Barely escaping with her life, she runs into Kenneth (Rhames), Andre (Pfifer) his girlfriend Luda, and Michael (Weber) and the group make it to the one safe place they can think of: the mall. That's not the end of the cast though as we also meet security guards CJ (Kelly), Terry (Zegers), and Bart who are not too welcoming to the group coming in from the outside. And here is where I probably would have ended it if I was writing this as I feel that the extra characters take away from the development of the others. Later, we get another group that seeks refuge and their time spent getting to know each other and bond is set to Richard Cheese's cover of Disturbed's "Down With the Sickness." A nice moment of levity after a pretty dark moment that sees three of the characters die in a hail of slow-motion bullets and squibs; a move that would become a trademark of Snyder's style...don't say we didn't warn you. Gunn's strength of writing good dialogue and character interaction is on full display here which he would carry into his feature directorial debut Slither. He also sets up moments that pay off later and gives little details that you have to pay attention to in order to really see what's going on. There are cameos from Ken Foree as a televangelist who gets to say his line from Romero's film in a different context, Scott Reiniger as a military officer, and Tom Savini as a local police officer who gives the sage-like advice to "shoot 'em in the head!", which shows that the creators have a reverence for the source film and want to do it justice. While I have seen plenty of half-assed remakes, reboots, requels, or whatever you want to call them, Gunn & Snyder's Dawn of the Dead is not bad. It's entertaining and is paced well enough that you won't find yourself being bored and the gore/special effects are the highlight. It gives nods to its predecessor while not totally shitting on its memory. |
I have often spoken about how fickle horror remakes are. They're almost always made for money and very little effort is spent on story, character, or standing alone as its own thing. Dawn of the Dead is the opposite, one of the few horror remakes that stands out because it goes big on not stepping on George Romero's toes, but making something that's mostly original and acts more as an homage. Let's not sugarcoat it. The original Dawn of the Dead is one of the most influential horror films in history. Remaking the film requires some serious giant stone balls, and somehow the dynamic duo of Zack Snyder and James Gunn pulls it off.
The story is relatively the same. An outbreak of zombies causes the downfall of society, and a few survivors manage to find shelter in a shopping mall. Gone is the political and societal subtext Romero was known for, and Snyder replaces it with unnecessary slo-mo and a lot of gory action. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The cast are all fairly disposable, with Ving Rhames and Ty Burrell as standouts. Certain scenes are pure nightmare fuel, like the zombie birthing scene. That's something else, and is still haunting. You can tell this one was made by fans of the original and not dictated entirely by financial gain. I won't compare both films here, since it's impossible. Romero's films have lasted this long for a reason. But Snyder's Dawn of the Dead is a decent remake that's worthy of the film's title. I would've been intrigued to see him helm a follow-up, but I guess Army of the Dead will have to do. This film is a fun thrill ride for horror buffs who don't take this stuff too seriously. |