One Reamake Worth Watching

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2006)

I'm not normally a fan of remakes as most people ruin what was good about the original. However, the zombie genre has developed in the last few years, and what was good about the original may not be conceived as good in this day and age. The original obviously being a cult classic zombie flick, possibly the best ever, with a retro look about it that could never be re-created. So the Director had a decision to make, a gamble one might say. Try and Stick to what made the original great or try something new. He tried something new and did a very good job in my opinion.
He obviously stuck to the basic story line but i feel there are other aspects to this film that make it good. First off, i felt an original cast was always going to be needed and the actors were excellent. I feel Ving Rhames and Mekhi Phifer, the only well known actors in the film, do really well and all of the other actors played their part superbly.
Secondly, i don't know much about this director Zack Snyders work, but I'm going to look into more of his stuff as there was an aesthetic about the movie, a slickness one might say about it that seemed to make the movie flow nicely and the moods within the film be it, comical, horrific, romantic or Sad were shown well and entwined throughout. Be it the moment Ana and Michael fall for each other, Andy The Gunman Dies or when they're running from the zombies screaming and shouting into an elevator only for the screams and hectic camera work to stop and the Calm soothing Elevator Music starts, that i felt was a stroke of genius. It works in a very Dark way and this kind of humour can be seen throughout the film.
This film was all about the Direction the Director was going to take it. He took a chance and in my opinion it paid off. A job very well done. Any fan of the traditional zombie flick may not like it as it does steer from the tried and tested formula seen for years, but otherwise i can see most people enjoying this film, especially if you liked 28 Days Later. 7/10