The dead are back.

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2004)

May contain minor spoilers
The dead are back. Dawn appears to be part of a string of neo-zombie movies that have hit theaters recently, including Resident Evil and 28 days. This one, however, is the first to be directly inspired by the original zombie mastermind, Romero. Dawn was the most engaging of the original dead series, and is the clear choice for a remake. It is the brilliant juxtaposition of a setting familiar to all consumers, the mall, and an outrageous situation, zombie chaos. Romero also tossed in a hearty dash of consumer bashing as the zombies waltz around the mall to ludicrous background music.
The 2004 version of this film takes the same concept, and injects it with a fat syringe full of adrenaline. The zombies no longer stumble around, and bump into things. They are ruthless hunters that know exactly what they want, and know that they have to haul ass to get it. This makes the movie a much more tense experience than the original. Snyder takes the serious (almost dry) nature of 28 days later, and blends it beautifully with humanistic (at times silly) tone of the original.
The key to the success of Dawn, however, is that it is unlike most recent remakes. Planet of the Apes or Bedazzled, for example, were both asinine remakes that whither when in the light of the originals. The complex ideas were lost, and replaced with action and special effects. The Movies were not updated; they were numbed for a modern audience. Snyder, Gunn, and company were able to update the film with out numbing it down. Sure, there is a lot of gore and some CGI, but the story is still controls and reigns in all the special effects and big budget hoopla.
Of course the film does have its weak points. One that comes to mind is when Ving Rhames attempts to recite a line from the original. It is a thoughtful hypothosis on why the zombies flock to the mall, but Rhames gives the introspective line an awkward tough guy quality. Still, Rhames shines in a bathroom scene with a little bit of religious rhetoric.
Colorful (but perhaps stereotyped) characters, fast moving action, interesting situations, the scariest zombies to grace the screen yet, and all based on a Romero classic. Justice has been done to the original, and the bar has been raised my friends. This film breaks new ground for edge of your seat zombie mania.
Zombie Fans 10/10 General Film 8.1/10