Dawn of the Dead (2004)
1/2

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 has, but it makes up for it in other ways.

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 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.

© 2004 Matt Noller