A bit of a disappointment

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2005)

I got this movie yesterday on a blind buy because I heard good things about it online. And while I will admit that it is better than the recent Resident Evil films, it is still lacking in some areas.
I really enjoyed the first 10-15 minutes of this film because the pacing was fast and everyone is clearly panicking. Unfortunately, the film seems to hit a wall after this.
Most of the characters are random and meaningless. There are however, two memorable characters. CJ, the head mall security guard, is a great character until his magical change of attitude halfway through the film. Also, the man on top of the gunshop, Andy, is the best character in the film. I felt much more empathy with him than I did with anyone in the mall, and he doesn't even have any lines except through a walkie-talkie. Furthermore, I agree that his character should be killed off, but they didn't do it as effectively as I would have liked.
The whole appeal from this film is clearly the gore, with even nudity making several appearances. Most of it is over the top and unnecessary. Maybe if I was 10 years younger, it would appeal to me more. As it stands, the cheesy violence is forced and gets old quickly.
The editing at the beginning and end of the film is tiring and annoying. Sometimes attempts at being artsy fail miserably, and this is one of them. When will directors learn that camera tricks and clichés don't make for a great film?
The best zombie film I have viewed recently is still 28 Days Later. And by no means do I think that is the best the film industry could do. Just look at the Resident Evil games. If something of that quality could be transfered to the film medium, maybe a zombie movie would exist that is infinitely watchable. Luckily, I still haven't watched the original Dawn of the Dead, and I am very much looking forward to viewing it.